HOUSTON, June 23 (Ticker) -- Tina Thompson was not about to let the Houston Comets squander a big lead.

Thompson scored 22 points and the Comets used a strong closing kick en route to an 85-70 victory over the Charlotte Sting.

NBA TV highlights from Sting-Comets: Play

Michelle Snow added 16 points and Sheryl Swoopes 14 for the Comets, who led by as many as 17 points in the first half before things got extremely tight down the stretch.

Kelly Mazzante's basket with 4:04 remaining pulled the Sting within 70-68. But the Comets used a game-closing 15-2 run to avoid a season-high three-game losing streak.

Thompson and Swoopes scored four points apiece in the closing run, during which the Comets went 13-of-13 at the free-throw line. Houston went 26-of-29 overall at the line.

Tammy Sutton-Brown scored 16 points and Tangela Smith added 15 for the Sting, who lost their season-high fifth straight game. Charlotte also fell to 0-4 on the road in remaining the league's only winless team away from home.

Next Games: Houston hosts Seattle on Sunday, while Charlotte is at Detroit on Sunday.