Shock-Sun Preview

By MATT BEARDMORE
Posted Jun 11 2011 1:12PM

The Connecticut Sun are trying to get better on the defensive end. The Tulsa Shock simply want a win.

The Sun look to bounce back from their first defeat of the season Sunday when they face a Shock team trying to snap an 11-game road losing streak.

After opening with a 89-73 victory over Washington last Saturday, the Sun (1-1) weren't as sharp in Friday's 78-75 loss at Chicago. The Sky hit half of their 66 shot attempts and never trailed.

"I think we need to have a better presence on defense," said forward Asjha Jones, who finished with 20 points. "There were flashes but we didn't play 40 good minutes of defense. That's our goal is to let our defense win games for us."

Defense has been a major problem for Tulsa (0-3). Coach Nolan Richardson's team is yielding 87.0 points per game, with opponents shooting 49.0 percent - including 43.1 percent (22 for 51) from 3-point range.

It doesn't get much better on the offensive end for the Shock, who are scoring 66.7 points per game on 35.4 percent shooting. They dropped their home opener 93-62 to San Antonio on Friday.

The Shock, losers of 31 of 37 since relocating from Detroit prior to last season, are off to the franchise's worst start since opening 0-13 nine years ago.

"We just need to do the little things. This is frustrating," said rookie center Liz Cambage, who's averaging team highs with 15.3 points and 9.7 rebounds.

Winless on the road since beating the Silver Stars on July 16, Tulsa will likely need a big effort from Cambage against reigning rookie of the year Tina Charles.

The Sun center, however, is scoring just 13.0 points per game with 5.0 rebounds and hasn't posted a double-double after setting a league record with 22 last season. Charles averaged 13.0 points and 11.0 boards in two wins versus the Shock in 2010, posting 10 and 10 as the Sun closed out their home schedule Aug. 17 with a 90-62 victory over Tulsa.

That gave the Sun their first season-series win against the Shock franchise since 2004.

Sun guard Renee Montgomery, who scored a team-high 22 points Friday, led the club with 19.0 per game against Tulsa last season.

Connecticut Sun beat Tulsa Shock 90-79

Posted Jun 12 2011 5:12PM

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) Tina Charles had 19 points and eight rebounds and Kara Lawson added 17 points Sunday as the Connecticut Sun beat the Tulsa Shock 90-79.

Lawson made all six of her free throws in the final 73 seconds for the Sun (2-1).

Ivory Latta had 26 points for Tulsa (0-4). The Shock have lost all four games this season by at least 10 points.

Asjha Jones had 16 points for Connecticut.

Latta, who was 11 for 14 from the field, made her second straight 3-pointer of the fourth quarter to bring the Shock within six at 79-73. But the Sun scored the next four points on baskets by Jones and Kalana Greene and didn't let the Shock closer than eight the rest of the way.

Liz Cambage scored 16 points for Tulsa. Cambage, a 6-foot-8 rookie center, missed the last 6:51 of the game after getting hit in the nose accidentally by teammate Tiffany Jackson. Kayla Pedersen added 15 for Tulsa.

Charles scored 15 of her points in the first half, helping Connecticut lead by as many as 12. But the Shock, who made 11 of their first 19 shots and shot 48 percent in the half, gradually cut into the lead. They got as close as 44-42 on two free throws from Cambage with 1:05 left in the half.

The Sun scored the last five points of the half to take a 49-42 lead.

• Shock: --
• Sun: --

• Shock: Cambage
• Sun: --

• Lead Changes: 0
• Times Tied: 0

• Arena: Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT
• Officials: #4 Sue Blauch, #21 Byron Jarrett, #44 Felicia Grinter
• Attendance: 6520
• Duration: 1:47