Indiana beats Tulsa; Wins 7 of 9 Heading Into All-Star Break
INDIANA FEVER AT TULSA SHOCK
WNBA | BOK Center (Tulsa, Okla.)
July 25, 2013
TULSA � Tamika Catchings scored 23 points and Shavonte Zellous added 19 to lead the Indiana Fever to its seventh win in nine games, winning 71-60 over the Tulsa Shock.
Catchings and Zellous combined to hit 15 of 25 shots and Indiana shot 46 percent as a team, as the Fever hit the midway point of its schedule. Zellous and Catchings, along with coach Lin Dunn and the Indiana coaching staff, will represent the Fever in Saturday�s WNBA All-Star Game in Connecticut.
Catchings, who will make her eighth All-Star appearance, became the WNBA�s No. 4 scorer of all-time (6,024). She already is the league�s career leader in steals and free throws, and is third in rebounds.
�Everybody was really focused, especially coming after a loss. It�s a confidence-builder for us going into the break,� said Catchings.
�We defended well and we attacked well,� said Dunn. �Any time we shoot 46 percent, we should win. Our energy level was high and I thought that was a key. We had really good balance.�
The Fever scored five straight points for a 45-36 lead early in the third period. The Shock cut the margin to 53-50 on a pair of Glory Johnson free throws to begin the fourth quarter, but Tulsa never got closer.
Catchings, Zellous and Jessica Breland scored six straight points for another 9-point lead and after a bucket from Liz Cambage, a Catchings layin was followed by a three-point play by Zellous as Indiana commanded a 66-54 lead with 4:46 remaining. A jumper by Karima Christmas stretched the Fever lead to 13, 71-59, with 1:46 left.
Christmas added 11 points for the Fever (8-9) who swept the season series with Tulsa (6-14) and moved within a half-game of third-place Washington in the East standings.
Catchings opened the contest scoring the Fever�s first six points on a pair of 3-pointers. She hit a pull-up jumper moments later to pass Lauren Jackson on the all-time scoring chart.
Tulsa, which snapped a three-game win streak, got 13 points from Cambage and 11 from Johnson.
The Fever resumes the second half of action on Thursday, Aug. 1 at Connecticut (7:00 p.m.).