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Sky's Season Ends With Loss To Houston
Posted Monday, September 15, 2008
 Houston's Tina Thompson scored a game-high 26 points in the Comet win. Photo by Amy Lugibihl. |
CHICAGO - Hurricane Ike left Houston on Saturday. Hurricane Tina blew in to Chicago on Sunday.
Tina Thompson’s game-high 26 points and 10 rebounds along with four blocks led four Houston Comets in double-figure scoring as the Comets edged the Chicago Sky 79-76 in front of 4,917 fans Sunday at the UIC Pavilion.
The Comets (16-17) went to Thompson repeatedly in clutch situations, and she delivered.
“We needed baskets in those clutch moments. They were coming to me and I just tried to knock them down,” she said.
With Chicago leading 31-27 with 4:30 left to play in the first half, the Comets went on an 11-3 run to lead 38-34 at the break.
Despite shooting 27 percent from the field in second quarter, the Sky were kept in the game by reserve Cathy Joens’ nine second-quarter points on 3-5 shooting from behind the arc.
Thompson’s nine third-quarter points were offset by the Sky’s Candice Dupree’s 10. A 10-4 run by the Sky with 3:31 left cut the Comets’ lead to 56-55 at the end of three.
Chicago's Sylvia Fowles left the game with a right calf injury with 8:23 left to play in the third quarter and did not return.
With 1:57 left to play, the Comets' Mistie Williams converted a layup from a Thompson assist to put Houston up 70-69. A steal by Williams and a layup by Tamecka Dixon upped the lead to 74-71.
“The main idea in the last two minutes was just to hustle,” said Williams, who scored 13 points and grabbed nine rebounds. “When games are tight it ends up going to the team that hustles and does all the extra things.”
Shannon Johnson’s 3-pointer with thirteen seconds to play gave the Comets a 77-73 edge.
Dupree then made her first WNBA 3-pointer with :03 to play, but two free throws from Thompson sealed the win for Houston.
“Chicago is a good team, they are really young,” said 2008 Olympian Thompson. “The sky is the limit for their future, especially if they keep that core. They have some really good young players that they can build on.”
The Sky was led by Dupree’s 20 points and six rebounds. Jia Perkins added 13, and Joens 12.
Chicago finishes its season at 12-22 overall and 2-12 against Western Conference teams. The Comets travel to Texas State University for Monday’s re-scheduled finale against Sacramento.
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