Katie Smith (shown earlier this season) had
seven points and five assists in the Detroit
Shock's loss in New York Thursday.
(AP Photo/Jerry S. Mendoza).
The Detroit Shock fell into last place in the WNBA’s Eastern Conference with an 80-64 loss at New York Thursday. The Shock dropped to 2-6 while the Liberty improved to 3-6.
The Liberty buried Detroit under a blizzard of three-pointers. New York, which shot 40 percent from the field overall, sank 48 percent of its three-point attempts (12-for-25). The Shock hit 39 percent from the field but were just 2-for-12 (17 percent) from beyond the arc.
Each team led by as many as three points in a see-saw first quarter before Kara Braxton’s buzzer-beating shot put Detroit ahead 18-17. The Liberty began the decisive second quarter with a 12-0 run. Braxton’s two free throws ended Detroit’s drought with 3:36 remaining before halftime. Detroit was 2-for-12 from the field and committed 10 of its 20 turnovers in the second period as New York took a 39-26 lead into the third quarter.
An 11-2 Shock run in which Shavonte Zellous scored all eight of her points brought Detroit within 52-46 with 1:15 left in the quarter. Four triples, including two by Loree Moore, helped the Liberty survive the period with a 55-48 lead. Shameka Christon then opened the final quarter with another New York triple, and the Shock never pulled closer than nine points again.
Cheryl Ford paced Detroit with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Braxton, still rounding into game shape followed her six-game suspension, contributed 12 points on 4-for-5 shooting, plus five rebounds, in 17:39. Deanna Nolan scored 12 points, Taj McWilliams eight and Katie Smith had seven points and five assists. Alexis Hornbuckle shot just 1-for-7 from the field and scored four points, but grabbed 10 boards. Read the complete box score.
Christon led the Liberty with 25 points while Moore added 15 courtesy of a 5-for-8 performance from three-point range.
The Shock play host to Connecticut Sunday before leaving on a four-game road trip.
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