Sunday, October 10, 2004
Storm overcome Sales' record 32 points
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SEATTLE (AP) -- Betty Lennox scored a season-high 27 points and
the Seattle Storm held off the Connecticut Sun 67-65 on Sunday night
to force a decisive third game in the WNBA Finals.
Betty Lennox scored a season-high 27 points in Game 2 after a team-high 17 on Friday.
Game 3 is Tuesday night (ESPN2, 9 p.m. ET) in Seattle.
Lennox shot 11-for-16 and the Storm withstood a late charge by
Connecticut in the last two minutes.
Nykesha Sales scored five points in the final 90 seconds as the
Sun closed to 67-65. Lennox missed with 14 seconds left, and
Seattle's Sheri Sam got the rebound before being tied up by Sales.
Seattle's Lauren Jackson corralled the ensuing jump ball, but
Katie Douglas came up with a steal and called timeout with 3.1
seconds left.
On Connecticut's final chance, Sales had an open look on a
3-pointer from the corner, but hit the side of the backboard as
time expired.
Sales almost single-handedly won the game for the Sun, scoring a
career-high 32 points, a WNBA Finals single-game record, on 14-for-22 shooting. She scored 21 points
in the second half.
Jackson added 15 points and 11 rebounds for Seattle, which shot
24-for-62.
Katie Douglas added 14 for Connecticut, which won the series
opener 68-64 on Friday.
The game drew an announced crowd of 17,072 to KeyArena, despite
the Seattle Seahawks playing the St. Louis Rams at Qwest Field
across town.
The Storm led by five at halftime and tried to take control
early in the second half.
With just less than 19 minutes left, Connecticut's Wendy Palmer
strained her right shoulder trying to tie up Seattle's Kamila
Vodichkova.
Palmer did not return, and without her presence in the paint,
Jackson scored back-to-back baskets to key an 11-4 run, giving
Seattle a 50-39 lead.
Palmer had 16 points and seven rebounds in Game 1.
Sales scored 10 points in less than two minutes to tie the game
at 57-all.
Lennox made two baskets and Vodichkova added another to give
Seattle a 63-57 lead with less than four minutes left.
Seattle fed off the huge crowd and was on the verge of turning
the game into a blowout early, scoring 11 of the first 13 points
and taking a 22-10 lead after just nine minutes.
Seattle's offense then began to struggle, and the Storm hit just
four of their next 20 shots. Connecticut got back into the game
with a 9-0 run as Seattle went more than four minutes without
scoring.
The Sun got as close as 31-28 before halftime.
