AUBURN HILLS, Mich., July 19 (Ticker) -- Not even a trip to the Motor City could derail the Charlotte Sting.

Sheri Sam and Tangela Smith each scored 15 points as the Sting captured their third straight win with a 73-67 victory over the Detroit Shock.

NBA TV highlights from Sting-Shock: Play

Struggling on the road all season, Charlotte jumped out to an outstanding start and held on to claim just its second victory in 11 games away from home. The Sting had previously lost their last five meetings here, including a 71-61 setback on June 25.

Sam scored the opening five points of the game and combined with Smith to give Charlotte a 12-2 lead more than 3 1/2 minutes into the contest.

Detroit, which lost for just the second time in nine home games, managed to tie the score at 16-16 early in the second quarter but managed to grab the lead only three times -- each time by a single point -- from there.

A three-point play by Cheryl Ford did pull the Shock within 59-58, with 4:28 left in the fourth, but the Sting converted 10-of-14 free throws down the stretch to seal the win.

Rookie Monique Currie scored 14 points and Tammy Sutton-Brown added 11 and a season-high 12 rebounds for Charlotte, which last won at the Palace of Auburn Hills on July 3, 2003.

Plenette Pierson scored 19 points off the bench, and Ford chipped in 14 for Detroit, which had a three-game winning streak snapped.