For those keeping score at home, today is day 48 of the season and there still is no win for the Dream, who dropped a 72-65 decision to Houston on Thursday night.

The 0-17 Dream came back from a 16-point deficit to bring the game within three points with some last-minute heroics by Betty Lennox and Ivory Latta.

But without their reserves, the Dream might not have been in the game at all.

Coach Marynell Meadors said she hopes the play of her bench will shake up her starters.

"I hope they get the message that they might be sitting there the next game if they're not ready to go," Meadors said.

The starters were cold — we're talking eating-ice-cream-in-the-middle-of-a- blizzard-in-Alaska cold — in the first quarter, shooting 1-for-17 from the field.

Tamera Young made 2 of 3 free throws in the first minute, and nearly seven minutes passed before Kristin Haynie sank a free throw to add another point to the scoreboard.

The Dream didn't make a field goal until Jennifer Lacy pump-faked and drove for a layup with 1:04 remaining in the first quarter.

The Dream's reserves managed to keep the deficit to 10 points at halftime, but the starters came out cold again to start the second half.

This time Meadors didn't wait for her first string to get its act together.

When Ann Strother, Katie Feenstra, Iziane Castro-Marques and Haynie came off the bench at 8:06 in the third quarter, the score was 44-28.

Along with Lacy, they battled back with a 17-7 run.

Meadors said she is not sure that her reserves warrant starting roles in the next game, but she doesn't question that they proved they deserve playing time.

"If our starters are not ready to go, then I will not hesitate [to sub]," Meadors said. "It gave them a great deal of confidence in their game, plus it gave me a great deal of confidence in what they can do and how they can perform."

Strother affected the game more with her grit than her usual shooting skills.

She tallied five rebounds, three blocks and a two steals in more than 31 minutes. She usually averages 4.4 minutes per game and hadn't played more than two minutes since June 7.

"It's tough for me to sit on the bench and watch," she said. "We had a rough first quarter, so for me to get out there and be able to provide some energy, some leadership, whatever, that was important to me."

Down a post player, Feenstra picked up the extra slack and added 11 points and nine rebounds.

Forward Stacey Lovelace wasn't at the game for personal reasons, Meadors said. She is listed as inactive, and Meadors said she does not know when Lovelace will return.