Fever-Mystics Preview

By ALAN FERGUSON
Posted Jun 28 2010 2:45PM

In 2009, the Indiana Fever continued their recent road dominance of the Washington Mystics while sweeping the season series and eliminating them from the playoffs.

Winning on the Mystics' home floor might not prove as easy in 2010, especially with a red-hot Crystal Langhorne.

In the next stop on their season-high four-game trip, the Fever try to end the Mystics' four-game home winning streak and slow down Langhorne on Tuesday night.

Indiana won all four regular-season matchups in 2009 and opened an Eastern Conference semifinal series with their fourth straight win in Washington and seventh in eight games there since the start of the 2006 season. The Fever finished the series two days later at home en route to their first conference title.

In the lone 2010 meeting, however, Indiana fell 72-65 to visiting Washington on May 15 to open the season. Monique Currie scored 21 points and Langhorne added 19 during the Mystics' 50-percent shooting performance.

They limited Indiana to 37 percent while snapping a seven-game skid to their rival, but the Fever (9-5) have won seven of nine since their 2-3 start, including a victory over league-best Seattle on June 17.

They couldn't pull off a season sweep of the Storm at the start of their trip Friday, losing 85-81, but bounced back two days later with a 70-64 victory over Chicago.

Tamika Catchings scored a season-low four points on 1-of-9 shooting Sunday, and the Fever had just two starters in double figures. The bench, however, chipped in 31 points led by Jessica Moore's season-high 10.

"I think it's a real key thing that if you're going to win on the road, you've got to have your bench step up," coach Lin Dunn said.

While the Fever have won four of five, the Mystics (9-5) who have won five of six overall and are 6-1 at home this season.

Langhorne had a career-high 31 points and 10 rebounds in a 95-85 home win over Phoenix on Sunday.

The third-year post player has averaged 27.7 points and 12.3 rebounds over the last three games, and is among the league leaders in scoring (17.1 ppg), shooting (58.2 percent) and rebounding (9.9 rpg).

"Things have really been going my way," Langhorne said. "I've been able to get the ball in really good positions. I haven't been getting double-teamed. I've just been really lucky right now."

Facing the Fever's league-leading defense, allowing 71.6 points per game and 41.0 percent shooting, would seem to give Langhorne a challenge. However, she's averaged 16.2 points and shot 60 percent over the last four matchups.

Smith scores 21 as Mystics hold off Fever, 68-65

Posted Jun 29 2010 9:53PM

WASHINGTON(AP) Katie Smith made five 3-pointers for a season-high 21 points, Crystal Langhorne finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds and the Washington Mystics held off the Indiana Fever 68-65 on Tuesday night.

The Mystics (10-5), who have won six of their last seven overall and improved to 7-1 at home, nearly let a nine-point lead with 4:16 left slip away. Katie Douglas' 3-pointer with 55.8 seconds left capped a 10-2 run and pulled the Fever to 66-65. Indiana, however, failed to score on its final three possessions.

Smith made two free throws to put the Mystics up three, but missed a pair with 7.7 seconds left. Indiana's Briann January pulled up to attempt a tying 3-pointer in the closing seconds but Matee Ajavon stripped the ball away and the Mystics beat their Eastern Conference rivals for the second time this season.

Tamika Catchings, who had her streak of 31 consecutive games in double figures end on Sunday, led the Fever (9-6) with 17 points and her free throws with 3:31 remaining started the failed closing run. Douglas scored 13 points.

Washington also had a 35-24 edge in rebounding, including 12 offensive boards.

Indiana won all six meetings between the two squads last season, including two straight to win their first-round playoff matchup. Washington won on the road in the Fever's season opener this year and backed that up with a hard-fought win at home.

Trailing 38-35 with 4:54 remaining in the third quarter, Smith hit back-to-back 3-pointers to pull the Mystics even and they didn't trail again after she added two free throws to put them up 43-41. Tied at 47, Ajavon hit a pair of jumpers and scored the final five points of the quarter for a 50-45 lead.

• Fever: --
• Mystics: --

• Fever: --
• Mystics: --

• Lead Changes: 8
• Times Tied: 11

• Arena: Verizon Center, Washington, DC
• Officials: #55 Eric Brewton, #8 Daryl Humphrey, #44 Felicia Grinter
• Attendance: 8464
• Duration: 2:12