Tamika Catchings scored 22 points and
grabbed nine rebounds, leading the Indiana Fever to a 79-75 win over the
Detroit Shock in Game 2 of the WNBA East finals.
Catchings added five assists and six steals, while Katie Douglas had 14 points
for the Fever, who recorded a WNBA playoff record 18 steals in the game. Ebony
Hoffman had 13 points, and Briann January contributed 12 points off the bench.
Deanna Nolan scored a game-high 23 points for the Shock, who are looking to
defend their 2008 WNBA title. Shavonte Zellous added 19 points off the bench
in defeat.
The game was tied, 54-54, with 2:14 left in the third, but Indiana scored the
next four points to take the lead. Kara Braxton drained a jumper for Detroit
in the final seconds of the quarter, and the Shock went into the fourth
trailing, 60-58.
January began the final frame with a three-pointer and a jumper to open up a
seven-point Indiana lead, but Detroit would get back to within 69-67 on a
Nikki Teasley three with 6:12 to play.
That was as close as the Shock got, though. Catchings added three straight
points for some breathing room for the Fever, and Douglas answered a Nolan
three with a pair of free throws with 2:46 left to make it 77-72. Catchings'
two free throws with 18.9 seconds to play made it a seven-point game again and
effectively sealed the contest.
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