Sky beats Dream, Lyttle knocked out by Fowles

Chicago center Sylvia Fowles got the best of the Dream again Saturday with 22 points and 12 rebounds, but it was the play she made that wasn’t called by referees that marred the Sky’s 88-82 victory in Philips Arena.

Fowles, a 6-foot-6 center, knocked out Dream forward Sancho Lyttle with a blow to the left cheek in the fourth quarter. Play was stopped with Chicago leading 78-73 with 3:03 remaining in the game as Lyttle lay motionless on the court near the Dream basket. She eventually regained consciousness and was helped off the floor by trainers, but she did not return to the game.

Dream general manager/coach Marynell Meadors said Lyttle suffered a concussion, but she doesn’t know the degree of the injury. Meadors said X-rays at the arena revealed Lyttle suffered no fractures or breaks.

“Concussions are really scary sometimes,” Meadors said.

No foul was called when Fowles knocked down Lyttle.

Dream assistant coach Carol Ross complained about the no-call and was hit with a technical foul.

“When our players are put in harm’s way, you’re going to hear from me,” Ross said.

Ross said her words that led to the technical foul didn’t need an explanation.

On the play when Lyttle went down, Chicago’s Erin Thorn was fouled by Dream forward Iziane Castro Marques. Thorn made three free throws, one for the technical foul and two for the foul by Castro Marques, to make the score 81-73.

The Dream had a chance to tie the score at 82, but forward Angel McCoughtry missed a layup with 56 seconds left.

“I don’t care about the missed layup,” McCoughtry said. “I care about my teammate.”

McCoughtry made two of three free throws to cut the Chicago lead to 84-82 with 22.7 seconds left, but those were the last points the Dream scored.

The game marked the second time Chicago defeated the Dream at Philips Arena this season. Fowles scored 19 points and had nine rebounds to lead the Sky to an 80-70 victory June 4. The teams play at Chicago on Aug. 14 and at Philips Arena on Aug. 17.

Trips to the free-throw line were frequent Saturday. The Sky made 35 of 42 free throws (83.3 percent). The Dream made 30 of 39 (76.9 percent).

McCoughtry, who scored 20 points, said the game got out of control.

The Dream came out shooting the way one would expect a leg-weary team to shoot. They missed easy, wide-open layups and jump shots. And the balls on the shots either were off the front of the rim, suggesting fatigue, or off the back of the rim, suggesting over compensation for fatigue.

Castro Marques scored eight points in the first quarter, but the Dream’s foul trouble and poor shooting were key factors as Chicago led 22-16. McCoughtry and Lyttle each picked up their second fouls in the quarter. The Dream also shot 28.6 percent (6-of-21) from the field.