ESPN.com - WNBA - Shock deal blow to Fire's playoff hopes

 
Shock deal blow to Fire's playoff hopes

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AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) -- Leading the WNBA's worst team by 14 points early in the second half, the Portland Fire appeared to be in control. Then the Detroit Shock came alive.

After trailing 40-29 at halftime and 43-29 after 20 seconds of the second half, the Shock roared back to beat the Fire 70-65 on Saturday night.

Edwina Brown led Detroit with 15 points and Wendy Palmer had 12 points and 13 rebounds.

"I think, in the first half, that our effort just wasn't there," said Palmer. "We weren't playing the way that we needed to."

Elena Tornikidou had 13 points for the Shock and Astou Ndiaye-Diatta scored 12.

Jackie Stiles scored 16 and Sylvia Crawley added 13 for Portland, which lost its sixth straight.

Detroit took the lead for good, 52-51, on Barbara Farris' two free throws with 11:38 left.

The Shock stretched its lead to 66-56 with 3:34 left. Stiles sandwiched a 3-pointer and two free throws around a Kristin Folkl layup to pull the Fire to within three, 66-63, with 2:13 left.

Two Tornikidou free throws gave Detroit a five-point lead with 1:17 left. A Stiles jumper with a minute left made it 68-65, but Sophia Witherspoon missed what would have been a game-tying 3-pointer with seven seconds left.

Detroit's Jae Kingi hit two free throws for the final margin.

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WNBA Scoreboard

Portland team page

Detroit team page