Atlanta Dream at Tulsa Shock: Quick Hits
In a nutshell: Atlanta bulldozed the hosting Shock 105-89 on Tuesday, holding a 30-point advantage before halftime. Despite breaking her nose on Monday’s practice in Tulsa, a mask-wearing Iziane Castro Marques scored 14 of her 23 points in the first half, and Sancho Lyttle finished with 20 points and 14 rebounds. Atlanta (16-9) is now a half a game behind first-place Indiana, and a full game ahead of Washington. Tulsa fell to 4-20.
The Dream shot a scorching 61 percent 1st half, leading 59-34 at the break. The Shock then surged back as both teams scored 27 points in the in the third quarter. In the final period, Ivory Latta (23 points, six assists) and Scholanda Robinson (13 points, six rebounds) notched crucial buckets to bring the Shock to within 16, then 13 on a Robinson 3-point play. Three consecutive Tulsa miscues and an acrobatic Shalee Lehning lay-up allowed the Dream to cap off the win. Atlanta’s 105 points came within three of their season high (108).
Play of the Game: Does tip-off count as a play? Atlanta controlled the game’s tempo early. An Armintie Price lay-up with 1:46 left in the first quarter sparked a 17-0 run that lasted until an Ivory Latta jump shot in the second period. A few minutes later, Atlanta went on another 12-0 run going into halftime.
How they won: Rolling offense against a struggling opponent fueled the Dream’s win as the visiting team shot 51.9 percent. Atlanta’s reserves stepped up as well. While leading scorer Angel McCoughtry notched a modest 11 points, Alison Bales contributed eight points and Yelena Leuchanka had 12 on a night where every Dream player scored.
What’s next: The Dream now must swing across the country to take on the Connecticut Sun on Friday July 30. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30PM EST.
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