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BOX SCORE
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Suzie McConnell Serio is used to having the
ball with the game on the line.
|  | | Arms raised, Suzie McConnell Serio celebrates her game-winning 3-pointer Thursday that clinched a playoff berth for Cleveland. |
Usually, her job is to find the open player, but Thursday night
the veteran point guard hit a 3-pointer with 21 seconds remaining
to lift Cleveland to a 74-71 victory over the Utah Starrz that
clinched a playoff berth for the Rockers.
"It just so happened my shot put us up by three," McConnell
Serio said. "What is gratifying about this win is it put us in the
playoffs."
McConnell Serio looked inside, but found herself on the wing
with three seconds left on the shot clock and took a 22-footer.
"Suzie just made a tremendous shot," Rockers coach Dan Hughes
said. "That's what leaders like her do for you."
Cleveland (16-12) moved within two games of first-place New York
in the Eastern Conference and made the playoffs one year after
compiling the WNBA's worst record of 7-25.
"We are looking to win the conference," McConnell Serio said.
"We have to win the rest of our games and then we'll worry about
who our opponent is."
Utah (16-13) had a four-game winning streak snapped and fell
three games behind Phoenix and Sacramento in the race for the final
playoff spots in the Western Conference.
"We didn't take care of the ball," Utah guard Jennifer Azzi
said.
Cleveland scored 29 points off 21 Starrz turnovers.
"You can't use travel as an excuse, because all teams do it,"
Azzi said. "We played a great game Thursday night (a 72-62 win at
Minnesota) and not tonight."
Merlakia Jones led Cleveland with 19 points, and rookie Ann
Wauters had a career-high 17 points.
Korie Hlede led Utah with 18 points and hit all five of her
shots -- including three 3-pointers -- in the second half as the
Starrz rallied from a 52-41 deficit with 13:09 to play.
The Starrz comeback also was helped by the defensive play of
7-foot-2 center Margo Dydek, who finished with three steals and six
blocked shots.
Utah took a 71-69 lead when Adrienne Goodson, who had 17 points,
broke free for a fast-break layup with 2:32 left.
Cleveland tied the score when Mery Andrade hit two free throws
with 1:19 left.
After McConnell Serio hit the clinching 3-pointer, Utah had two
chances to tie it. LaTonya Johnson's shot rattled off the back of
the rim with six seconds to play. The ball bounded back to Azzi,
whose off-balance shot fell well short.
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ALSO SEE
WNBA Scoreboard
RECAPS
Cleveland 74
Utah 71
Washington 75
Indiana 71
Phoenix 85
Seattle 63
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Suzie McConnell Serio hits a 3-pointer to lift the Rockers past Utah.
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