SACRAMENTO, California (Ticker) -- Tangela Smith scored 19 points and Yolanda Griffith added 17 as the Sacramento Monarchs held the hapless Charlotte Sting scoreless over the final 2 1/2 minutes en route to their fourth straight victory, 74-63.

Shalonda Enis, playing just her second game after missing the first six with an Achilles sprain, hit two free throws to pull the Sting within 67-63 with 2:31 left. But they would not be heard from again, falling to a league-worst 1-7 and 1-2 on a five-game road trip.

The Monarchs converted 7-of-10 free throws to close the game and moved within one win of the longest streak in team history, set late last season. Ruthie Bolton-Holifield converted three, foul shots, Griffith added a pair and Ticha Penicheiro and Smith had one apiece.

"Our confidence is way up right now," Griffith said. "We have to make sure we take care of business at home and worry about the road when we get on the road. If we stay healthy and play as a team, I think we will be OK."

"I wanted to come in tonight and be aggressive because I knew that had physical post players," Smith said. "We need to execute more in our offense, but our defense is coming along strong."

Bolton-Holifield poured in 13 points and Penicheiro dished out 10 assists with just one turnover for Sacramento, which is 3-0 at home this season and two shy of the most consecutive wins at Arco Arena. The Monarchs had 19 assists and committed only seven turnovers.

Dawn Staley scored a season-high 18 points and Rhonda Mapp added 17 and 10 rebounds for Charlotte, which shot a paltry 36 percent (21-of-58) from the floor and made 2-of-9 3-pointers. Andrea Stinson added 12 points and Enis 10, but no one else for the Sting had more than two.

"Every game we are getting closer and closer to being a serious team," Stinson said. "We play good defense, but seemed to let it go near the end. All we can do is learn from our mistakes and move onto the next game."

"I just feel that we need to learn how to get over the hump and pull it off down the stretch," Mapp said. "If we can learn to pick up our intensity down the stretch, we will be a tough team to beat."

It does not get any easier for Charlotte as it visits 5-2 Los Angeles on Sunday. The Sting have dropped four in a row against the Sparks.

The Monarchs open a three-game Eastern Conference road swing Monday at Cleveland.