SACRAMENTO, Calif., Aug. 10 (Ticker) -- The Sacramento Monarchs
handled business as usual against the Minnesota Lynx.
Yolanda Griffith scored 18 points and Kara Lawson added 14 off
the bench as the Monarchs posted a 74-66 victory for their
eighth straight win over the Lynx.
Griffith made 8-of-12 shots and Lawson netted two 3-pointers for
Sacramento, which also extended its home winning streak to nine
games.
With the second seed in the Western Conference already secured,
defending champion Sacramento limited Minnesota with another
strong defensive effort.
In their matchup on July 22, the Monarchs forced the Lynx to
commit 24 turnovers en route to an 86-59 rout. On Thursday,
they challenged nearly every shot attempt, holding the visitors
to 37 percent (22-of-59) shooting.
The Monarchs, who led for most of the contest, bolstered their
advantage to 58-40 on a three-point play by Rebekkah Brunson -
who collected 10 points and 11 rebounds - with 9:45 left in the
fourth quarter.
While Sacramento relaxed, Minnesota managed to claw its way back
to 70-66 with 2:02 to go after a hook shot by rookie Seimone
Augustus. But Nicole Powell's 3-pointer pushed the margin back
to seven, ending the late rally.
Augustus scored 31 points, including all 13 of her foul shots
for the Lynx, who have lost eight of nine overall.
Next Games: The Lynx finish off the season at Los Angeles on Sunday, while the Monarchs close out the regular season at Phoenix on Sunday.