Box Score | Play-By-Play
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The Charlotte Sting kept fighting the entire game, but the Minnesota Lynx grabbed the lead from the opening tip and never looked back as they held off the Sting’s last minute rally for the 70-62 victory Tuesday at Charlotte Bobcats Arena. The loss is only the Sting’s second loss in the last six games, but drops their overall record to 7-18.
Tammy Sutton-Brown led the Sting, tying her career-high with 22 points. For the second straight game, Kelly Mazzante provided a spark off the bench, scoring 12 points on 4-6 three-pointers. They were the only Sting players to score in double figures.
Minnesota’s defense was too much for Charlotte, as the Lynx held the Sting to .275 percent shooting for the game, including 7-22 from the three-point line. Primary scoring threat Tangela Smith, who is Charlotte’s leading scorer for the season, was held to just eight points on 2-13 shooting.
Minnesota jumped out to 11-0 lead in the first three minutes, before a Sutton-Brown free throw gave Charlotte its first point with 6:18 remaining in the first quarter. Mazzante scored six of her points in the first quarter to keep the Sting in the game, and contributed three rebounds. Minnesota committed eight of their 19 turnovers in the initial period, which resulted in 10 Sting points.
The Sting continued to capitalize on Minnesota turnovers in the second stanza, converting four Lynx miscues into seven points. Helen Darling found her shot in the second quarter, connecting on 2-3 three-pointers for six points.
Coming into the third quarter, the Lynx pushed their lead to 13, but Sutton-Brown scored 11 points to keep Charlotte in the game. With 15 seconds left in the period, LaToya Bond found an open Mazzante for a three-pointer to cut Minnesota’s lead to four entering the final stanza.
In the decisive fourth quarter, Charlotte went ice cold, shooting .118 percent and only connecting on two field goals. However, they managed to cut the lead to two points, the closest Charlotte would be all night, on two separate occasions. Minnesota’s Seimone Augustus converted a lay-up with 47 seconds left to put the Lynx up by four and seal the win.
The Lynx had four players score in double figures, led by Augustus with 21. Amber Jacobs scored 18 points, and Nicole Ohlde and Adrian Williams each had 10 to pace Minnesota.
Mazzante has heightened her game in Charlotte’s past few games. She was the game’s leading rebounder, grabbing a career-high nine. Her previous career-high was seven rebounds, set in the Sting’s last game. Williams was Minnesota’s leading rebounder with eight boards.
The Sting complete the home-and-home series with Minnesota on Thursday at 8 p.m in Minneapolis.
HEAD COACH MUGGSY BOGUES SAYS...
(On the game) For us to be playing the way we have been the last three weeks, and knowing the importance of this game, and for us to put up that type of performance, is really frustrating. It’s frustrating knowing the magnitude of this game, how we have been playing, and the things that we have been talking about and emphasizing. We came out here thinking that the game was going to be handed to us. We shot 27 percent from the field, we got out-rebounded (42-34), and we lost three quarters out of four. You won’t win many basketball games with stats like that.
(On the importance of winning games from here on out) We believe we have to win every game, that’s the only way you can control your own destiny. Our starters just didn’t show up. (Minnesota) was going through a lot, and you know that they were going to come out and play with emotion. It’s not like they came out and were on fire, we allowed them to do what they wanted.
(On team preparation) You have to be professionals, and you have to be ready to play night in and night out. You can’t take any days off. You can’t stay on a high when things are going well, you have to stay in the middle ground and understand the task at hand. For some reason we didn’t understand that tonight.
(On if playing Minnesota again next will help) I hope that’s the case, but playing good basketball is what I’m looking for no matter who we play. You have to have a hunger about certain times in the season. You have to be fired up and every possession has to be important. We’re trying to make a run and keep ourselves in the hunt. That’s what we are stressing and emphasizing. We did that the past five games, but we didn’t come and showcase that tonight.
INSIDE THE LOCKER ROOM
GUARD KELLY MAZZANTE
(On the frustration of providing a spark from the bench and not getting a win) It’s not about me. It is about the team. The team let an opportunity for a win slip by tonight especially on the rebounds. I think that was disappointing for us. We have to understand how important rebounding is at this point in the season. We have nine games left and we have to get it together.
(On what the team needs to do to get back on a winning track) We have to remember how we played together when we had those wins. Everyone was there for each other and had one another’s back. We need to refocus and look at the remainder of the schedule and take it one game at a time.
CENTER TAMMY SUTTON-BROWN
(On the importance of capitalizing on turnovers) It's very important. This is a game where we definitely came out slow. But in the back of our minds’ this is a game we should have won.
(On the frustration of not getting a win) It's very frustrating. Not to get a win on any night is very frustrating. We did not come out and establish ourselves. It is no one’s fault but our own. Our defense definitely triggers our offense, and our defense wasn’t there for us tonight.
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| July 25, 2006 |
| Team |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
TOT |
| MIN |
22 |
16 |
18 |
14 |
70 |
| CHA |
17 |
13 |
22 |
10 |
62 | |
STAR OF THE GAME |
TAMMY SUTTON-BROWN |
22 points
3 rebounds
8-14 FGs
2 steals
2 blocks |
SUB OF THE GAME |
KELLY MAZZANTE |
12 points
9 rebounds
3 assists |
STAT OF THE GAME |
REBOUNDS
Minnesota - 42
Charlotte - 34 |
HUSTLE BOARD |
| Team |
REB |
STL |
BLK |
TOT |
| MIN |
42 |
5 |
9 |
56 |
| CHA |
34 |
10 |
3 |
47
| | |
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