August 7, 2015 – Marissa Coleman scored 19 points to lead five Indiana players in double figures as the Fever routed the Atlanta Dream 106-77 on Friday night.

Free Throws, High Energy Carry Indiana To Big Victory

INDIANAPOLIS – Goal No. 1 for the Indiana Fever was to slash and drive to the rim for high-percentage baskets. If that didn’t work, maybe goal No. 2 could be realized: drawing fouls with their aggressive approach.

The Fever found success on both objectives – and thrived in various other ways, too – in Friday night’s resounding 106-77 victory over the Atlanta Dream at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Indiana thumped the Dream with 40 inside points. The Fever also set franchise records for made and attempted free throws, hitting 40-of-44.

“We came in with an attack mindset and our players executed it,” Fever Coach Stephanie White said.

PHOTO GALLERY: Fever 106, Dream 77 »

Indiana entered the game as only the WNBA’s ninth-best free throw club at 77.4 percent. The Fever picked a fortuitous night to improve that mark with 90.9 percent foul shooting – against an Atlanta team that ranked No. 1 in fouls committed.

“I think that everybody had that mindset,” Indiana’s Marissa Coleman said, referring to an attacking attitude. “Whenever you were in the game, whenever you had the ball, (it was) just try to attack, draw fouls, drive to the rim, drive and kick.”

The Fever lifted their season record to 12-9 ahead of four straight games on the road. They have won seven consecutive home games, tying the third-longest streak in franchise history.

“When you have the energy of the crowd behind you, if you’re struggling, they give you an extra boost,” White said about the Fieldhouse fans, who numbered 7,869 for Friday’s Breast Health Awareness game. “If you’re celebrating, it takes you to another level.

“We have to be a team that can create our own energy,” White added. “But, certainly, when you can feed off the crowd, it’s an amazing benefit.”

The Fever, wearing pink uniforms in honor of the evening’s festivities, played aggressively but not always with smarts in the first half.

They led by just seven at halftime, but the first nine seconds of the third quarter provided a window to the rest of the night. Shenise Johnson swiped the ball from Atlanta’s Shoni Schimmel and zoomed to a fast-break bucket. It ignited a 20-8 run for Indiana.

“I think her coming in and setting the tone right off the bat was great for us offensively,” Fever forward Tamika Catchings said about Johnson. “And defensively, I think we all got energized from that and just kept it going.”

An 11-0 Fever run to start the fourth quarter led to an 88-64 lead and shut the door on Atlanta, which lost its sixth straight game for a 7-14 record. It was a performance the Fever needed ahead of their road trip and after a 106-82 loss at Chicago earlier this week.

Indiana’s 106 points against Atlanta ranked as the second-highest total in franchise history.

“You can’t drop your head,” Johnson said about the aftermath of the Chicago game. “We wanted to make sure we’re staying focused.”

The Fever made sure with some hard work at practice entering Friday’s game.

The approach, Catchings said, will be simple and direct as the Fever go into the regular season’s final 13 games: “We gotta go back to the basics, setting the expectations higher and demanding that everybody be on the same level, 100 percent in.”

Five Fever players scored in double figures: Coleman with 19, Catchings 18, Johnson 15, Lynetta Kizer 11 and Briann January 10. Johnson led Indiana with seven rebounds.

August 7, 2015 – Players and coaches from both teams give their reactions to the Fever’s 106-77 victory over the Atlanta Dream on Friday night.

August 7, 2015 – Fever players Shenise Johnson, Tamika Catchings, and Marissa Coleman discuss Indiana’s 106-77 win over the Atlanta Dream at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

August 7, 2015 – Fever head coach Stephanie White discusses Indiana’s 106-77 win over the Atlanta Dream.

August 7, 2015 – Atlanta Dream head coach Michael Cooper and Sydney Carter talk about their 106-77 loss to the Indiana Fever.

August 7, 2015 – Dr. Zusan and Dr. Lottich from the Community Health Network stopped by Bankers Life Fieldhouse to talk to Fever fans about breast health.