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Chicago sets Fury Ablaze and stops three game winning streak

March 3, 2003 - National Women's Basketball League (NWBL)
Dallas Fury News Release


The Tennessee Fury's three game win streak came to an end on Sunday against the Chicago Blaze. Tennessee's failure to stop the Dominique Canty and Mfon Udoka show led to their demise.

Canty was as close to perfection as you can get. She went 9-10 in the first half with 18 points and 6 rebounds.

Tennessee was able to slow down Canty somewhat in the second half but she still finished with 24 points and 10 boards on 11-15 shooting.

Chicago would dominate this game pretty much throughout. With Canty and Udoka leading the way they would take a 45-39 lead into the half. The second half wasn't much different. Chicago would come out and continue with the pressure. They would lead by 14 points 57-43. The Fury looked down but they were definitely not out. They would put a 20-5 run together, spurred by Marie Ferdinand who in just over two minutes would drop 9 of her 21 points on the game to help the Fury take their first lead of the game at 9:41 of the second half.

With the Chicago Blaze up 78-74 with just under thirty seconds remaining Janee Hayes hit a huge bucket underneath the basket and got fouled. She would make the free throw and the Fury would be down by just one with twenty seconds to go. On the ensuing inbound Tennessee trapped the ball down low and Annie Lester was called for a foul that put Latonya Washington to the line. She would make one of the two free throws to put Chicago on top 79-77.

With twelve seconds left, Becky Hammon who led the Fury with 24 points, would get fouled and go to the line with a chance to tie up the game. However her first free throw rimmed out. She would make the second, but with four free throws by the Blaze in the last eleven seconds they would seal the deal, and Tennessee would be left to think about what could have been.

Coach Minggia had this to say after the game, "We needed to hit the boards. The second and third opportunities we gave them killed us. In the second half we did a better job of stopping Canty and a better job of rebounding which let us get out of that hole but we just weren't able to get over the hump."

Becky Hammon was definitely not happy about missing the free throw down the stretch of this one, which would have tied the game.

"I had a great chance to tie it up. Missing that free throw changed everything at that point."

Now the Fury heads out on the road for five games in a row. The first of those games will be played on Tuesday night in Houston against the Stealth.

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