Sun-Dream Preview

By ALAN FERGUSON
Posted Aug 18 2011 11:39PM

A recent surge has the Atlanta Dream holding a slim lead on the Eastern Conference's final playoff spot.

The Dream will try add to that advantage and move above .500 for the first time this season with a fifth straight home win over the Connecticut Sun on Friday night.

Atlanta reached the WNBA finals in 2010 but opened this season 3-9. The Dream have since rebounded to win nine of 12, and victories in each of the past two games have helped put them 1 1/2 games ahead of fifth-place Chicago in the East.

All-Star forward Angel McCoughtry scored 23 points to lead Atlanta to its latest win, 84-79 at Los Angeles on Tuesday. Her 36 points weren't enough to help the Dream (12-12) top Connecticut on July 31.

The Sun (16-9) prevailed 99-92 as six players scored nine or more points, led by Renee Montgomery's 19. The game featured 16 lead changes until Asjha Jones put her team ahead for good on a three-point play with 1:47 remaining.

"It was wild. It was a hard-fought game on both sides," Dream coach Marynell Meadors said.

Connecticut heads into the opener of this home-and-home series having won 10 of 14 but is 3-6 in its last nine against Atlanta. The Sun also still might be stinging from a missed opportunity against New York on Thursday night.

After holding an 18-point lead late in the third quarter, Connecticut was outscored 22-7 in the fourth before going scoreless in the final minute of overtime in an 84-81 defeat.

Tina Charles had 29 points - two shy of her career high - and 14 rebounds, but made one basket over the final 9 1/2 minutes of the game.

"The way things were going over the first three quarters, we were in good shape," Charles said after recording her 17th double-double of the season. "But a lot of times we have a big lead, we let it get away. We can't do that. It's definitely tough to lose this way, both physically and mentally."

The All-Star center had 27 points and 20 rebounds in the previous trip to Atlanta last July, but the Sun fell 108-103 in overtime. McCoughtry and Iziane Castro Marques scored 32 points apiece for the Dream.

Atlanta has averaged 94.2 points in its last five games against Connecticut with McCoughtry contributing 29.4 per contest, nearly 10 higher than her current average (20.1).

Charles, meanwhile, has been held to 10 points or fewer in each of her last two matchups with the Dream.

Atlanta and Connecticut will play again Sunday at Mohegan Sun Arena.

McCoughtry scores 24, Dream top Sun 94-88 in OT

Posted Aug 19 2011 11:45PM

ATLANTA (AP) Atlanta forward Angel McCoughtry came up with the key plays on both ends of the court Friday night to lead the Dream to an 94-88 overtime win against the Connecticut Sun.

McCoughtry blocked a shot at the end of regulation to force overtime and finished with 24 points, including two crucial baskets in overtime, as Atlanta won for the fourth time in five games.

``She's a winner,'' Atlanta coach Marynell Meadors said. ``She finds a way to score and she finds a way to defend. That block she made at the end of the game was huge.''

Atlanta tied the game with 12.2 seconds remaining in regulation when Sancho Lyttle made a 3-pointer from the right side, a shot that drew iron but bounced up and through the basket to even the score at 78-78. It was only Lyttle's second 3-pointer of the season.

``She's Ms. Clutch,'' Meadors said. ``Tonight she made that 3-point shot to take it into overtime. That shot at that time gave us momentum. It gave us that spark. That's when we knew we could win the game because we were going to play harder than they were.''

Connecticut worked for the final shot, but McCoughtry swatted away Allison Hightower's jumper from the corner.

``I was just thinking let me get out here so I can try and contest this shot. And I did,'' McCoughtry said.

In overtime, Atlanta was leading by one point when McCoughtry made a runner with 1:03 left. On the next possession she made a jumper just before the shot clock expired to give the Dream an 88-83 lead with 22 seconds remaining.

It was the second straight overtime loss for Connecticut (16-10), which blew a 19-point lead on Thursday at New York. The Sun committed 21 turnovers that led to 25 points.

``We had too many turnovers in the second half,'' Connecticut coach Mike Thibault said. ``When you give up 25 points off turnovers, you're just asking for trouble.''

Lindsey Harding added 21 points for Atlanta (13-12), which has won 10 of its last 13 games. Lyttle scored 20, Erika DeSouza had 12 points and 10 rebounds, and McCoughtry grabbed 12 rebounds.

Asjha Jones had 21 points for the Sun and Tina Charles added 15 points and 11 rebounds.

Atlanta, back home for one game after a four-game road trip, now goes back on the road for three games.

``It was great to get a home win,'' Meadors said. ``Our fans really deserve it.''

• Sun: --
• Dream: --

• Sun: --
• Dream: --

• Lead Changes: 8
• Times Tied: 9

• Arena: Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA
• Officials: #42 Roy Gulbeyan, #24 Tony Dawkins, #25 Marcus Clayton
• Attendance: 7225
• Duration: 2:24