MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The Minnesota Lynx found revenge to be sweet
Sunday.
Svetlana Abrosimova's layup with 45 seconds to play in overtime
snapped a 76-76 tie as the Minnesota Lynx beat the Sacramento
Monarchs 79-76 Sunday.
The Lynx (9-18) had lost by a franchise-record 39 points to the
Monarchs on July 3, 91-52. This time they knocked the Monarchs
(16-12) into fourth place in the Western Conference, 1 1/2 games
behind Houston and a half-game behind Utah.
"We didn't compete last time," Abrosimova said. "They're a
good team, but we are not that bad. We're not 40 points worse."
Abrosimova scored 21 points and added a team-record 15 rebounds
for the Lynx, and she scored her team's last five points.
Her free throw with 21.4 seconds to play put Minnesota up by
three.
A last-second shot by Sacramento's Cindy Blodgett bounced off
the rim, and Minnesota's Georgia Schweitzer rebounded and ran out
the clock.
The Lynx led by as many as 12 points in the first half and by
five with two minutes to play. Tangela Smith tied the game with a
layup with 15 seconds to play in regulation.
Katie Smith hit two free throws with 4.6 seconds to play to give
Minnesota a 70-68 lead, but the Lynx, with a foul to give, allowed
Ticha Penicheiro to drive the length of the floor for game-tying
bank shot as regulation ended.
"We just continued with our game plan," said Smith, who scored
20 points for Minnesota. "At that point it's mental, it's not
physical. We can't fold."
Penicheiro scored 17 points for Sacramento and Tangela Smith and
Yolanda Griffith added 16 each.
But Griffith had to be helped from the floor after taking a hard
fall with two minutes to play. She suffered a bruised elbow and
bruised hip on the play and is questionable for the team's rematch
on Tuesday night.
"That changes us because she's a great defender and a great
rebounder," Sacramento coach Maura McHugh said. "I feel like our
demise was on the boards tonight."
Lynx guard Betty Lennox, the 2000 WNBA Rookie of the Year,
returned to action after missing 20 games with a strained left hip.
She played seven minutes and scored nine points.
"I wanted to play more, but the doctor was watching me,"
Lennox said. Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories
|
|
ALSO SEE
WNBA Scoreboard
Sacramento team page
Minnesota team page
|
