Comets blow fourth quarter lead
Published on June 18, 2008 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Houston Comets News Release
HOUSTON (AP) - Alana Beard scored 23 points and the Washington Mystics rallied for a 67-63 victory over the Houston Comets on Wednesday night. Washington (4-7) opened the fourth quarter on an 11-2 run to tie the score at 55 on Nikki Blue's 3-pointer with 6:24 to go. After Sancho Lyttle's basket moved the Comets back ahead, the Mystics went on a 10-0 run capped by a 3 from Monique Currie with 1:58 remaining to take an eight-point lead. Houston (3-8) pulled within four on back-to-back baskets by Shannon Johnson and Hamchetou Maiga-Ba with 1:06 remaining, and Matee Ajavon cut the lead to two with two free throws with 48 seconds left. Beard missed a jumper with 26 seconds left to try to ice it, but Maiga-Ba missed a layup on the other end. Houston grabbed the offensive rebound and called a timeout with 10 seconds left. Out of the timeout, Blue was called for a foul before the ball was put in play, but Tina Thompson missed the free throw. On the ensuing inbounds play, Michelle Snow missed an open layup for the tie, and Taj McWilliams-Franklin got the rebound and hit two free throws with 7 seconds left to seal it. Currie finished with 12 points and six assists, and Blue scored 10 points for Washington. Maiga-Ba scored 15 points to lead the Comets, and Thompson added 12. Houston pulled ahead in the third quarter, closing the period with a 9-2 run. After Washington pulled to 45-42, the Comets closed the third quarter on an 8-2 run -- including five consecutive points by Ajavon -- to take a nine-point lead. Maiga-Ba scored 10 points in the first half to help lead the Comets to a 34-30 halftime lead. After trailing early, the Mystics went on a 7-0 run to knot the score at 15 on Crystal Langhorne's layup, but the Comets scored the final four points of the first quarter to take a 19-15 lead.
Houston opened up a 24-17 advantage with 7:16 left in the first half on Mistie Williams' layup capping a 7-0 run, but the Mystics came back with an 8-0 run to take a 25-24 lead on Beard's 3 with 5:57 left in the half.
The Comets outscored Washington 10-5 to end the half.
Comets' Practices:
Thursday, June 19, 12 noon-2 p.m. at Reliant Arena
****Media availability begins at 1:30 p.m. (subject to change)****
Friday, June 20, 9-11 a.m. at Memorial Hermann/HBU Wellness Center (7731 Southwest Freeway, 77074)
****Media availability begins at 10:30 a.m. (subject to change)****
Comets' Next Games:
June 21 at 7 p.m. CDT at Minnesota Lynx (Target Center)
June 24 at 8 p.m. CDT at San Antonio Silver Stars (AT&T Center)
June 26 at 7:30 p.m. CDT vs. San Antonio Silver Stars (Reliant Arena)
Houston Comets, Head Coach Karleen Thompson
On Tonight's Game
"I think we fought hard but we lost focus. We came out in the second half and turned the ball over maybe three or four times in a row. Toward the end of the game we got out of what we normally do. We did not focus and play the way that we had been playing for the last couple of games. I think we will just build from the situation. We need to build on the confidence of winning at home and use it on the road to try to steal one in Minnesota."
On What She Told the Team in the Locker Room
"They played hard but in forty minutes of a game you have to give forty-two minutes. It is a professional league and these are good teams. Anytime that you let up you leave the door open. I just told them to keep their heads up and it is still early. We are going to continue to fight."
Houston Comets' Hamchétou Maїga-Ba
(Set personal high and tied Comets franchise steal record with seven (8) - previous was Cynthia Cooper at Charlotte Sting 8/11/1997)
On Going Back on the Road
"I guess the biggest thing is that you can't sit back and complain about it. We just have to refocus and get ready to go on the road."
On What They Learned from Home Wins
"We have to stay together and learn together good things happen. We just have to refocus and regroup."
Houston Comets' Tina Thompson
On Going Back on the Road
"We will just have to take the same personality on the road. It is time for us to get one on the road because we have not had one thus far. It will be very important to us and crucial for us moving forward to start getting some wins on the road."
Washington Mystics' Head Coach Wayne "Tree" Rollins
On the Last Ten Seconds of the Game
"I was thinking, good thing I prayed before the game. You know those two (Tina and Michelle) are super-talented athletes. There is no way they would miss those. I'm sure they are kicking themselves now. I'm sure their coach is going crazy just as I would be if that happened to me."
Washington Mystics' Nikki Blue
On Stepping It Up During the Second Half
"I just thought I was being too passive. My coaches told me I was being too passive. I wasn't attacking the basket like I should have been. I mean I just wasn't being aggressive. And I wanted to make a change in the second half and help my team be more aggressive."
Washington Mystics' Alana Beard
On Making a Comeback in the Fourth Quarter
"Defense! Defense! And, the fact that we did everything together. I think our guards did a great job of attacking and our post players did a great job of rebounding and crashing the boards. It was a great team effort and we came out with the win."
Women's National Basketball Association Stories from June 18, 2008
- Comets blow fourth quarter lead - Houston Comets
- Lynx Pair with Red Cross - Minnesota Lynx
- Storm and Pitney Bowes Promote Reading and Raise Money for First A.M.E. Child and Family Center - Seattle Storm
- Chicago Sky and Bank of America Honor Women of Inspiration - Chicago Sky
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