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Sunday, Jul. 23 6:00pm ET
Portland 63, Minnesota 80 | |||||
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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
MINNEAPOLIS (Ticker) -- Rookie Betty Lennox scored 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting as the Minnesota Lynx snapped their season-high eight-game losing streak with an 80-63 triumph over the expansion Portland Fire. With Minnesota clinging to a three-point lead midway through the second half, Lennox ignited an 11-2 run with an eight-foot jumper that helped the Lynx seize control. Katie Smith buried a 3-pointer with 9:42 left to give Minnesota a 55-43 advantage. Portland pulled within 61-57 with 4:25 to go on a pair of foul shots by Stacey Thomas. But a 3-pointer by Lennox and key free throws by Smith, Shanele Stires and Marla Brumfield propelled the Lynx to a 76-60 lead with 48 seconds remaining. The Lynx won for the first time since July 2, also against the Fire. "Our confidence is back," Lennox said. "We went out and got a win. We like this win and not losing. We can only get better. Our confidence is up now and that's what we need to build from. "We couldn't stop Lennox," Portland coach Linda Hargrove said. "She did a great job of creating shots for herself and we couldn't contain her. Also, the Lynx beat us off the dribble. They scored three or four baskets off penetration that gave them the momentum." Minnesota took advantage of foul trouble by Portland, which had three players foul out. Shooting 81 percent (29-of-36) from the line helped the Lynx (11-13) pull within 3 1/2 games of Phoenix for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Thomas had 14 points, seven rebounds and six assists for the Fire, who held a slim 27-26 rebounding edge but shot just 25 percent (5-of-20) from behind the arc. Winless in the first three of a four-game road trip, Portland dropped to 3-10 away from the Rose Garden this season. "I think we match up pretty well with Minnesota," Thomas said. "In the second half they made more layups on us, and really changed the momentum of the game. We fought back, but they really stepped it up in the end." The Fire held their biggest lead of the game at 15-6, using a 9-0 burst capped by a three-point play from Michelle Marciniak with 11:04 remaining in the period. Minnesota scored 15 of the next 17 points for a 20-17 advantage with 5:34 left. The Lynx's leading scorer in four of the last six games prior to tonight, Smith was held to only 11 points and made just 1-of-11 from the field. She made up for inconsistent shooting by making 8-of-9 free throws. Portland's bench was outscored, 27-12, as only Marciniak (10 points) and DeMya Walker (2) managed to score. | ALSO SEE WNBA Scoreboard RECAPS New York 69 Houston 64
Minnesota 80
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