Fever Falls in Double OT

STAR OF THE GAME TAMIKA CATCHINGS Catchings' team-high 20 points included a 3-pointer with 11.6 seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime. Overall, Catchings hit three 3-pointers, added five rebounds, five steals and four assists. UNSUNG HERO KELLY SCHUMACHER Schumacher's array of mid-range jump shots kept Houston on its heels, spreading the Comets defense. Schumacher shot 4-of-7 from the floor, finishing with 10 points and five rebounds. QUOTABLE BRIAN WINTERS On the play of the game: “An 18 point lead early in the game is not that meaningful, especially in professional basketball. I played in a couple of NBA games where that can happen, I have seen it many times. They made some adjustments and got back in the game, but we still had a lead at half time so we were happy about it. When we came out in the second half we didn't execute the way we needed to and we let them get to a tie score and it was nip and tuck from there on out." "We had a chance to win in the first overtime, we had the ball and a tie score, we make a shot and we win the game, but it didn't happen. Our shot didn't fall, what can I say? We let them off the hook. I give [Houston] credit, they came back in the second overtime and took us out." TAMIKA CATCHINGS On the key to the game: “We really shot ourselves in the foot. I don't want to take anything away from Houston because I think they did a good job, but as a team when [Houston] went zone, it really hurt us. For some reason we started getting a lot of offensive calls and going down and fouling them, just stupid fouls throughout the whole second half.” HIDDEN NUMBERS Points in the paint: Comets 38, Fever 32 Fast-break points: Fever 11, Comets 5 Second-chance points: Comets 11, Fever 7 Points off turnovers: Fever 12, Comets 11 Starters scoring: Comets 79, Fever 49 Bench scoring: Fever 29, Comets 7 RELATED LINKS Box Score | WNBA Recap

GAME REPORT
	Comets 86, Fever 78 (2ot)
May 29, 2005 at Toyota Center (Houston, Texas)

Swoopes scored 12 of Houston's 19 points in the final session, which was made necessary when the Fever missed a chance to end the game on a final shot with 0.9 seconds in the first OT. Tamika Catchings, who led Indiana with 20 points, made a 3-pointer with 13 seconds left in regulation to send the game to its first overtime period.

Michelle Snow had 21 points on 9-for-9 shooting, and Dominique Canty added 15 points for the Comets (3-1) who went on a 10-0 run to begin the second overtime behind seven straight points from Swoopes and a three-point play from Canty.

Indiana (3-1) trailed 60-51 with four minutes left in regulation, but outscored Houston 12-3 down the stretch. Catchings' 3-pointer sent the game into overtime at 63-all. Both teams scored just four points in the first overtime, though the Fever had possession following a timeout with 6.6 second left, and an open 3-point shot by Kelly Miller glanced off the rim.

Rookie Tan White added 12 points for the Fever and Kelly Schumacher scored 10 with five rebounds. Jurgita Streimikyte scored six of her eight points during the Fever's early first half run.

The game was one of streaks, and halted the Fever's season-opening three-game win streak. It also continued Houston's stranglehold on the series, as the Comets won for the eighth time in nine meetings including all five in Texas.

The Fever opened the game with an 18-point margin midway through the first half, hitting 11 of its first 13 shots. But Snow sparked a 13-0 run to help cut the Fever lead to 31-26. Tully Bevilaqua buried a 3-pointer to end the Comets' streak. Snow and Schumacher traded buckets in the final minute and Indiana claimed an eight-point advantage at the break.

Houston scored the first eight points in the second half to knot the game at 36, and from there the game would see five more lead changes and four ties. Houston built a nine-point lead, but the Fever answered and sent the game to extra sessions.

"I thought this was one of the great wins to be associated with,'' Houston coach Van Chancellor said. "This is what you call a real character-building game. We dropped down 18, and we were in complete disarray. We went to a 2-3 zone, and we clawed back and cut it to a workable margin at halftime.''

"An 18-point lead early in the game is not that meaningful, especially in professional basketball,'' Fever coach Brian Winters said. "They made some adjustments and got back in the game, but we still had a lead at halftime so we were happy about it. When we came out in the second half we didn't execute the way we needed to and we let them get to a tie score."