SEATTLE (AP) -- Michelle Marciniak knew she wanted to hit the
ground running.
Getting her first start at point guard this season, Marciniak
scored 13 points, pushing the Seattle Storm to a stunning 72-55
victory over the Houston Comets on Wednesday night.
It was Seattle's first victory over Houston, the four-time
defending WNBA champion.
"Coach gave me the start, and I felt really comfortable out
there. I just tried to take control of the team and push the
ball," said Marciniak, who also quelled two second-half Houston
runs with 3-pointers and hit a third to give the Storm a decisive
56-44 lead with seven minutes left.
"I love the quick game. I love to run," said Simone Edwards,
who led Seattle with 17 points, including 13 in the second half,
and was 7-for-7 from the free-throw line.
Dunn said she gave Marciniak the start because she was hoping
for more perimeter shooting.
"Tonight, some of the shots she stepped up and hit at crunch
time had that effect for us," Dunn said.
Lauren Jackson added 11 points and five blocked shots for the
Storm, and Jackson and Marciniak each had six rebounds.
Janeth Arcain led Houston with 24 points. Tina Thompson had 12,
while shooting only 3-for-16 from the floor.
Houston trailed by 13 points early in the second half. Marciniak
hit 3-pointers as the Comets closed to four and six points. After
her final 3-pointer, Seattle made it a rout with a 16-9 run to
close out the game.
"They outplayed and out-coached us in every phase of the
game," Houston coach Van Chancellor said. "They jumped on us from
the get go and never let up."
Houston (18-11), coming off a 62-48 victory over the Phoenix
Mercury on Monday, has clinched a playoff spot and is fighting to
remain the second seed in the Western Conference behind Los
Angeles.
"They played so well and we didn't," Arcain said. "We lost a
lot of easy balls and had 17 turnovers. We can't do that in the
future and expect to win."
The Storm (10-19) are struggling not to finish in last place in
the conference for the second consecutive year -- also their second
in the league. Seattle entered the game having lost four in a row
and 11 of 12.
The Storm opened the game with a 6-0 run and led by as many as
14 in the first half, as Jackson scored 10 points on 5-of-8
shooting. Seattle led at the half, 32-22.
Houston shot just 10-of-31, 32 percent, in the first half.
Arcain led the Comets with eight points.
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ALSO SEE
WNBA Scoreboard
Houston team page
Seattle team page
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