Mystics-Fever Preview

By JEFF BARTL
Posted Aug 21 2011 12:46AM

While the Indiana Fever continue to maintain their lead in the Eastern Conference, the Washington Mystics are mired in another losing streak.

Indiana seeks its fourth straight win over Washington when the teams meet Sunday night at Conseco Fieldhouse.

The Fever (18-8) hold a two-game lead over second-place Connecticut despite Thursday's 75-70 loss to Los Angeles which snapped their three-game winning streak. They've won nine of 11, with Tamika Catchings averaging 23.8 points over her last four contests.

Catchings and Erin Phillips each scored 16 points in Thursday's defeat, when the Fever blew a 12-point lead and were held scoreless for a long stretch of the fourth quarter.

"We stalled down the stretch,'' Phillips said. "We missed some shots we usually make.''

They haven't had that problem against the Mystics (5-19), winning all three meetings this season, and they'll now look to improve upon their already stellar 11-2 home record.

Indiana took the most recent matchup with Washington 61-59 on July 29, when Shannon Bobbitt scored her only two points of the game on a layup at the buzzer.

Washington followed that defeat by winning two of its next three games and seemed destined to salvage some respectability out of its season, though the Mystics have lost their last four contests since then.

They suffered another last-second defeat Saturday, when Chicago's Epiphanny Prince made two free throws with 0.7 seconds remaining to deal Washington a 71-70 loss.

Matee Ajavon, who scored a team-high 23 points, fouled Prince near halfcourt after she missed two free throws with 2.5 seconds left which could have provided a three-point cushion.

Ajavon is averaging 19.6 points in seven August contests for Washington, which is 2-9 on the road this season. She said the Mystics won't stop giving their all despite being well out of the conference playoff race.

"We've still got a few (games) left and we're still trying to grow as a team," Ajavon said.

Crystal Langhorne added 18 points in Saturday's defceat. Five of Washington's last eight games have been decided by three points or fewer, with the Mystics losing four of them.

"We have to keep playing hard, keep fighting and no matter what try and win games," Langhorne said. "It's been tough the way we've lost lately, but we just have to build off that for the future."

Langhorne missed a 68-57 loss to Indiana on July 9, though she scored 23 points in an 89-80 defeat June 21 and 17 in the most recent meeting with the Fever.

Douglas leads Fever past Mystics, 83-51

Posted Aug 21 2011 9:55PM

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Katie Douglas scored 15 points and had five rebounds to lead the Indiana Fever over the Washington Mystics 83-51 on Sunday.

Jessica Davenport scored 14 points and had five rebounds and Tamika Catchings scored 13 points with eight rebounds for the Fever, who lead the Eastern Conference by two games.

The Fever limited the Mystics to 35.2 percent shooting and forced 19 turnovers. The 51-point performance is the third-lowest total in the league this season and Indiana's 31-point victory margin was the second-largest.

``Our defense was very disruptive,'' Fever coach Lin Dunn said. ``We spent lots of energy with our press. It was a good win over a good team.''

Douglas broke out of a slump with her most points since scoring 20 on July 13.

``You're just going to have up and down moments and thankfully I was able to get on track tonight,'' Douglas said. ``I was just happy we were able to have such a big win and I think we were doing some great things on the defensive end and on the offensive end. When we start playing well on both ends of the floor, we're a hard team to beat.''

Crystal Langhorne scored 11 points and had seven rebounds and Jasmine Thomas scored 11 points for the Mystics, who have lost five straight games.

The Fever improved to 4-0 this season against Washington, racing to a 14-2 lead to start the game and building a 79-47 lead at one point late in the fourth quarter.

``They totally outplayed us,'' Langhorne said. ``We have lost games, but this one was bad. We need to play harder and not turn the ball over. Things weren't pretty.''

• Mystics: --
• Fever: --

• Mystics: --
• Fever: --

• Lead Changes: 1
• Times Tied: 1

• Arena: Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
• Officials: #9 Denise Brooks, #17 Scott Twardoski, #34 Maj Forsberg
• Attendance: 7935
• Duration: 1:50