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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- In a probable first-round playoff
matchup, the three-time defending WNBA champions were too much for
the league MVP.
|  | | Cynthia Cooper had 18 points and six assists for Houston. |
Sheryl Swoopes went 4-for-5 from 3-point range and finished with
25 points and five assists as the Houston Comets beat Sacramento
76-63 Sunday, ending the Monarchs' five-game winning streak.
Yolanda Griffith, last season's league MVP, had season highs of
30 points and 19 rebounds for Sacramento (20-11).
"I've seen a lot of outstanding performers in my career,"
Houston coach Van Chancellor said. "But that may have been as good
as I've ever seen."
Griffith, who had 17 rebounds on three occasions this season,
was the only Monarchs player with more than four rebounds and more
than 11 points. Kedra Holland-Corn was Sacramento's only other
player in double figures with 11 points.
That statistic said much about Houston's strategy coming into this
game.
"Yolanda had a monster game," Swoopes said. "But coming in,
we were trying not to let any other players get 25 or 35 points."
Griffith shot 60 percent from the floor, while her teammates hit
only 25 percent of their shots. Ruthie Bolton-Holifield went just
1-for-10 from the field for two points.
"It is no disgrace to lose to Houston, they're obviously a
great team," Sacramento coach Sonny Allen said. "But I thought we
could have played better. We just missed so many easy shots and you
just can't miss those shots against a good team."
Cynthia Cooper added 18 points and six assists, and Tina
Thompson had 15 points and 13 rebounds for Houston (25-5).
The Monarchs are third in the Western Conference, a half-game
ahead of Phoenix. One Sacramento win or a Mercury loss would give
the Monarchs third place and a probable first-round matchup with
Houston.
The Comets are two games behind first-place Los Angeles with two
games to play.
Sacramento pulled within 55-51 with 9:07 to go when Griffith
completed a three-point play. But the Monarchs didn't hit another
field goal over the next 4:35.
Houston got four points from Cooper, a layup by Janeth Arcain,
and a punctuating 3-pointer from Thompson to pull ahead, 62-51 with
5:51 left.
Swoopes scored 17 points in the first half as Houston took a
40-32 lead into the break. Griffith had 16 points and nine rebounds
by halftime.
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ALSO SEE
WNBA Scoreboard
RECAPS
Orlando 92
Detroit 63
Houston 76
Sacramento 63
Minnesota 80
Indiana 75
Cleveland 77
Washington 60
Miami 57
New York 41
Seattle 66
Portland 58
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Sharyl Swoopes hits from 3-point range.
avi: 437 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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