Sun-Mystics Preview

By NOEY KUPCHAN
Posted Jun 28 2012 1:32PM

The Eastern Conference-leading Connecticut Sun played like anything but a first-place team their last time out.

A week off and a matchup with the last-place Washington Mystics could be just what they need to bounce back.

Coming off the most lopsided defeat in franchise history, the visiting Sun try for a sixth straight win over the sliding Mystics on Friday night.

Connecticut (9-3) hasn't played since last Thursday, when it entered Indiana on a three-game winning streak but was blown out 95-61 in the back end of a home-and-home set. Leading the East with 83.5 points per game, the Sun were limited to 32.8 percent shooting and posted their lowest scoring output of the year.

"They competed better than us right from the get-go," said coach Mike Thibault, who was ejected in the third quarter for arguing with officials. "I just wish we could have played better."

Connecticut has to like its chances of getting back on track against Washington (2-9), which is looking to avoid a season-high fifth consecutive loss.

The Sun took all four matchups with the Mystics last season by an average of 15.5 points and won the only meeting this season, 94-86 on June 3.

Tina Charles recorded a season-high 30 points in that game and outshined Washington's Crystal Langhorne, who scored a season-best 25.

The Mystics wasted another impressive performance from Langhorne on Tuesday, falling 79-71 to Seattle despite 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting from their All-Star forward. Washington's other four starters went a combined 5 of 16 from the field, scoring just 17 points.

The Mystics, who entered the second quarter down 17-10, have not led after the opening period in any game this season.

"We talked about playing better but we didn't," coach Trudi Lacey said. "We have the same concern that we only play three quarters well and one quarter not well and this particular game we didn't start off well."

Besides another high-scoring display from Langhorne, Washington likely needs others to step up if it hopes to have a chance Friday. The Mystics have lost eight of nine and are averaging a league-low 68.8 points.

"We are just going to have to make a lot of adjustments," said Langhorne, who has five 20-point efforts in her last seven games. "Offensively, we need to execute really well. Defensively, we have to go against Tina Charles and Asjha Jones. We're going to have to be on point on both sides of the ball."

Charles and Jones both proved difficult to contain during Connecticut's last visit to the nation's capital. Charles had 24 points and 15 rebounds while Jones posted 16 and 10, respectively, in a 79-48 rout Sept. 4.

Jones scores 20 as Sun beat Mystics 77-64

Posted Jun 29 2012 10:43PM

WASHINGTON (AP) The Connecticut Sun had a week to think about the worst loss in franchise history. They were well-rested when they got back on the court, and it showed.

Asjha Jones tied her season-high with 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, Tina Charles added 13 points and 10 rebounds, and the Sun cruised to a 77-64 victory over the Washington Mystics on Friday night.

Connecticut, coming off a 95-61 loss at Indiana last Thursday, never trailed and won for the seventh time in the last nine.

``It was a combination of things,'' Sun coach Mike Thibault said. ``Frustration with a bad game, a couple of really, really hard practices, and kind of wanting to take it out on somebody else after practicing all week with each other. We were pretty mentally ready to play this game.''

Reserve Mistie Mims hit all five of her field goal attempts and added a season-high 15 points for the Sun (10-3).

``It felt like it's been a month since we played,'' said Mims, whose father, music legend Chubby Checker, traveled down from Philadelphia to watch her. ``We had a big cluster of games and we got really tired, but after a week of sitting around, we were ready to go again.''

Monique Currie scored a season-high 21 points and Crystal Langhorne added 11 for Washington (2-10), which lost its fifth straight.

Leading by four at halftime, Connecticut pulled away in third quarter, opening the half with a 12-0 run keyed by five points from Jones. Washington didn't score until Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton's layup with 5:40 left in the quarter made it 48-34.

``The start of the second half we really wanted to come out and be aggressive,'' Jones said. ``We got some fast-break buckets and forced them to take a timeout.

The Sun led by 19 after three quarters and the Mystics got no closer than 11 the rest of the way.

``I think in the second half they went a lot more to (Charles),'' Currie said. ``They were getting to the basket, getting to the free throw line. They didn't do anything special or anything different. They were just more aggressive than we were.''

The Mystics attempted 19 more shots than the Sun, but hit just 32 percent (25 of 77), while the Sun shot 45 percent (26 of 58).

Connecticut hit its first four shots of the game and built an 18-7 lead in the first quarter.

After Washington pulled to 22-21 on Jasmine Thomas' layup early in the second quarter, Mims scored four straight points on a jumper followed by a layup off an offensive rebound.

``She was terrific,'' Thibault said of Mims. ``She's had several games where's she's come in and been perfect from the floor. I would have tried to play her more tonight except Asjha and Tina were playing really well, too. It's a nice problem to have.''

Currie hit a 3-pointer to get the Mystics within two, but consecutive 3s by Tan White and Jones followed by a jumper from Jones put Connecticut up by 10 midway through the quarter.

• Sun: --
• Mystics: --

• Sun: --
• Mystics: Langhorne

• Lead Changes: 0
• Times Tied: 0

• Arena: Verizon Center, Washington, DC
• Officials: #28 Angelica Suffren, #42 Roy Gulbeyan, #8 Daryl Humphrey
• Attendance: 6975
• Duration: 1:55