Jones, White lead Sun past Silver Stars, 72-64
SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Asjha Jones scored 17 points, reserve Tan
White added 15 and the Connecticut Sun beat the San Antonio Silver
Stars 72-64 on Friday night.
Sandrine Gruda and Lindsay Whalen had 12 points each and Erin
Phillips scored 10 for the Sun (7-6).
All-Star Becky Hammon scored 24 points and rookie Megan Frazee
had 14 for the Silver Stars (6-7), who missed their fifth chance to
get over .500.
After missing all four of her shots in the third quarter, Jones
hit two key baskets after Hammon's layup cut the Sun's lead to
65-64 under the 2-minute mark.
Jones hit a bank shot from about 10 feet out and followed that
with a 17-footer on the Sun's next trip down the floor to give
Connecticut a 69-64 lead with 26 seconds left. Amber Holt added a
pair of free throws with 12 seconds to go.
White had nine points in the fourth quarter, including 5 of 6
free throws. She finished 5 for 7 from the floor to go along with
all the free throws she attempted in the fourth quarter.
Connecticut opened the fourth quarter ahead by four but expanded
the lead to a 56-49 when White hit 1 of 2 free throws with 6:27
remaining.
However, the Silver Stars hit three 3-pointers - two by Hammon -
to pull to 63-62 with 2:20 to go.
Connecticut beat San Antonio by 13 points in their first meeting
this season on June 21. The Silver Stars were playing without
Hammon, who was playing in the European championships, and fellow
starter Vickie Johnson.
The Silver Stars lost starting center Ruth Riley due to a
sprained left ankle late in the first half and she did not return.
The Sun were without Tamika Whitmore, who is expected to miss
the next two weeks after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on her
right knee.
The Sun opened the game with a 9-0 lead as San Antonio ended
possessions with a double dribble, an air ball and a layup that was
blocked.
The Silver Stars didn't score until 3:37 into the game on
Johnson's jumper. She scored again on a layup the next trip down
the floor, and by the end of the quarter San Antonio had taken a
16-15 lead as the Sun missed eight of 10 shots after building the
nine-point lead.
Neither team shot better than 39 percent in the first half nor
could build more than a three-point lead in the second quarter, and
the game was tied at halftime. Johnson was 4 of 5 with eight points
for San Antonio and Jones had nine points for the Sun on 4-of-7
shooting.
07/17/09 22:24
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