Sparks-Fever Preview

By JEFF MEZYDLO
Posted Jul 31 2011 12:49AM

The Indiana Fever certainly have regrouped after enduring their longest losing stretch of the season. A visit from the Los Angeles Sparks could help add to their recent success.

After back-to-back road wins, the Fever return to Conseco Fieldhouse trying for a fourth consecutive victory overall and fifth straight at home over the Sparks on Sunday night.

Indiana (13-6) moved to the top of the Eastern Conference thanks to a seven-game winning streak June 21-July 13, but followed that run with a season-high three-game skid. After ending that drought with a 77-63 home win over Chicago, the Fever came out of the All-Star break to win 69-58 at Connecticut on Thursday and got a Shannon Bobbitt floating layup at the buzzer to beat Washington 61-59 on Friday.

"One of the things we said we wanted to focus on was winning the first two games,'' said Tamika Catchings, who had 16 points, nine rebounds and five assists Friday. "I think our intensity the last two games has just been really high.''

The Fever hope to maintain that intensity while trying to continue their home success over Los Angeles (7-10), which has not won in Indianapolis since 2006.

Catchings has averaged 17.8 points her last six games. Teammate Katie Douglas, who scored 10 after missing Thursday's game with the stomach flu, has averaged just 9.0 points - 5.2 below her average - her last five games but 15.5 in her last six versus Los Angeles.

The Fever look to stay hot when they make a brief stop at home before heading out for another two-game trip to Tulsa and Chicago.

"Our schedule is going to test us,'' Douglas said. "Anytime you can string two together on back-to-backs, it's a good trip.''

Though Indiana is in the midst of a stretch where it plays four straight games against teams with losing records, Los Angeles could have some momentum after snapping a four-game skid with an 88-84 win at Chicago on Saturday.

DeLisha Milton-Jones scored 19 points and Tina Thompson added 14 as the Sparks won for just the third time in 12 games since starting 4-1.

Jones, who totaled 16 points in her previous four games, made a pair of clinching free throws to help prevent the Sky from erasing a 20-point Los Angeles lead.

Though the Sparks got back into the win column, their opponents have averaged 85.2 points in the last five games. Los Angeles ranks near the bottom of the WNBA giving up 82.6 points per contest.

The Fever, meanwhile, are allowing 72.6 per game - the second-lowest average in the league.

Davenport scores 16, Fever beat Sparks 98-63

Posted Jul 31 2011 9:57PM

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Jessica Davenport scored 16 points as the Indiana reserves combined for a franchise-record 57 in the Fever's 98-63 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday night.

Tangela Smith scored 15 points to lead the starters for the Eastern Conference-leading Fever (14-6), who won their fourth straight. The 98 points were a season high.

Shavonte Zellous scored 13 points, Jeanette Pohlen 10 and Shyra Ely and Shannon Bobbitt nine each, all off the bench for the Fever, who have won eight of their last nine at home.

``We keep the energy flowing,'' said Zellous. ``Even if we slip up, we stay together. We do what we have to do to win.''

The WNBA record for bench players scoring in double figures in one game is four.

``Everybody had energy,'' said Davenport. ``We're playing well as a unit right now. We have a balanced effort.''

Former Fever player Ebony Hoffman scored 13 points to lead the Sparks (7-11). Rookie reserve Jantel Lavender added 12.

``I know how Indy plays, and I don't think our team was ready for it,'' Hoffman said. ``It's hard to do well when their bench was great.''

After starting slowly, the Fever used a 17-5 run over the last 4:32 of the first quarter to take a 27-15 lead. Davenport and Smith scored five points each.

Fever coach Lin Dunn flooded the floor with reserves in the second quarter, and they followed the starters' example, to extend Indiana's lead to 53-30 at halftime.

Ely, an Indianapolis native, scored seven points in the 21-9 run and the reserves totaled 29 points in the period.

``The key is, we have quality depth,'' Dunn said. ``You want to have eight, nine, 10, 11 quality players who can play.

``Any time your bench players have 18 rebounds and 57 points, you're doing something good.''

Neither Ely nor Bobbitt were in the WNBA last year. Bobbitt had been waived by Los Angeles.

It was all too much for Sparks coach Joe Bryant.

``Defensively, they took us out of everything,'' he said. ``We couldn't make shots. They went down and scored.''

The Fever starters shot 56 percent (10 of 18) in the first quarter and the reserves were 9 of 16 (56 percent) in the second period. Indiana finished at 52 percent (36 of 69) for the game.

The Sparks shot 36 percent 23 of 64) for the game.

Ely drove for a layup with 4:02 to play, giving the Fever a 93-52 lead, the largest in franchise history.

• Sparks: --
• Fever: --

• Sparks: --
• Fever: --

• Lead Changes: 1
• Times Tied: 3

• Arena: Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
• Officials: #38 Lamont Simpson, #9 Denise Brooks, #11 Lauren Holtkamp
• Attendance: 9256
• Duration: 1:43