McCoughtry powers Dream to overtime victory

By Pierce W. Huff

For the AJC

Dream forward Angel McCoughtry said she doesn’t worry about missed shots, only the next shot.

Still, she wouldn't be human if she didn't agonize over a missed layup attempt from Saturday in the final minute of the Dream’s loss against Chicago, a shot that would have tied the game.

On Wednesday, McCoughtry made amends for that miss, when she scored 32 points, had nine rebounds and made a decisive three-point play with 32.2 seconds remaining in overtime to lift the Dream to a 108-103 victory against Connecticut at Philips Arena.

The Dream (14-5), who scored their most points ever, leads Washington (12-5) by a game in the Eastern Conference.

“This was big because it keeps us in first,” said McCoughtry, who scored four points in overtime.

She tied the score with a jump shot with 1:04 left. Then, she gave the Dream the lead for good by powering her way through the lane for a mid-range jump shot. She was fouled on the play, and her free throw made the score 106-103 with 32.2 seconds left.

The Dream’s final points were scored when Alison Bales and Erika de Souza made free throws.

“This was a huge Eastern Conference win,” Dream general manager/coach Marynell Meadors said.

Connecticut (10-8) began the fourth quarter with a 20-7 run to take a 93-88 lead with 2:31 remaining. The Sun increased their lead to 95-91 when Allison Hightower made two of three free throws with 1:31 left.

But the Dream scored the last four points of regulation and tied the score when McCoughtry made a jump shot with 31 seconds left. The Dream had a chance to win the game, but referees ruled that a layup by Shalee Lehning came after the buzzer.

“We were a little like a roller coaster today,” Meadors said.

Connecticut lost at San Antonio 79-66 on Tuesday, and playing games on consecutive days affected the Sun early.

The Dream led 35-26 and shot 68.4 percent from the field (13-of-19) in a fast-paced first quarter. Iziane Castro Marques scored 12 of her career-high 32 points, and McCoughtry scored 10, despite leaving the game midway through the quarter after picking up her second foul. The 35 points were the most the Dream have scored in a quarter this season.

But the shots stopped falling for the Dream in the second quarter. They made eight of 23 of shots (34.8 percent), and that allowed Connecticut to get into the game. The Sun tied the score at 43 after a layup by Tina Charles, who scored 15 points in the first half.

The Dream finished the second quarter with an 11-8 spurt to take a 54-51 lead at halftime.

The Dream began the third quarter with an 8-0 run, which consisted of six points from Castro Marques, to take a 62-51 lead. The Dream led 81-73 at the end of the quarter.

The Dream were without forward Sancho Lyttle, who suffered a concussion after being hit in the cheek by Chicago’s Sylvia Fowles on Saturday. Bales started in place of Lyttle.

Lyttle is one of three Dream players who will participate in the “2010 WNBA vs. USA Basketball: The Stars at the Sun.” She and Castro Marques will play for the WNBA and McCoughtry for USA Basketball. Also, Meadors an assistant coach for USA Basketball.