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WASHINGTON (AP) Becky Hammon matched her career high with 22 points as the New York Liberty clinched the Eastern Conference title with a 74-66 victory over Washington on Friday night. Crystal Robinson added 15 points to help the Liberty (18-12) take a two-game lead over Washington and Charlotte (both 16-14) with two games remaining for all three teams. New York won the season series with Washington 2-1, and also holds the tiebreaker over Charlotte, which clinched a playoff spot Wednesday night with a victory at Minnesota. New York used a 10-0 run to take a 56-44 lead with 8:03 to play. Robinson opened the run with a three-point play, Hammon made a 3-pointer and a layup, and Robinson added a jumper. Hammon was 5-of-6 from 3-point range, with her final 3-pointer giving the Liberty a 61-47 lead with 5:30 left. Chamique Holdsclaw had 23 points for the Mystics, who beat the Liberty on Wednesday night in New York. Washington, which secured a playoff spot Wednesday, has lost eight of its last nine games. Washington rookie forward Stacey Dales-Schuman scored 11 of the Mystics' first 17 points, but didn't score again until just 1:01 remained in the game. She finished with 16 points.
The Associated Press News Service Copyright 2002 The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast or redistributed without prior written authority of The Associated Press. |
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