WNBA.com: Jackson leads Liberty to franchise-record win Jackson leads Liberty to franchise-record win
Posted Jun 22 2008 6:13PM
By DOUG FEINBERG, AP Sports Writer
NEW YORK(AP) Tiffany Jackson scored a career-high 21 points and the New York Liberty set a franchise scoring record with a 105-72 victory over the Phoenix Mercury on Sunday.
The Liberty hit a season-high 11 3-pointers and shot 54 percent from the field to eclipse the mark of 95 points scored at Phoenix on June 21, 2001. New York (6-5) was sparked by the return of Loree Moore, who missed the last five games with a back injury. She had 12 points, five rebounds, and four assists. The Liberty were 11-for-22 from behind the arc, just two short of the franchise record set against Chicago on July 25, 2006.
Diana Taurasi scored 21 points to lead Phoenix (4-7). She was trying to become only the second player in league history to have three straight 30-point games. Cynthia Cooper did it from July 18-25, 1997. Taurasi had 32 in a loss to Detroit on June 18 and then 33 in an overtime win over Connecticut on Friday.
The Mercury had scored 100 points in each of their last two games, but were held to a season low. It was their worst loss since the Mercury were beaten by 41 points by Seattle in 2002.
Jackson was 8-for-8 from the field and added seven rebounds. Ashley Battle had 17 points, Janel McCarville 12, Cathrine Kraayeveld 11 and Lisa Willis had 10 for the Liberty, who have won five of seven.
Trailing 10-4 early in the first, the Liberty went on a 24-5 run to close out the quarter. New York hit five 3-pointers during the spurt, including three by Kraayeveld. The 28 points was New York's highest scoring first quarter of the season. Taurasi scored nine of the Mercury's 15 points in the period.
The Mercury cut the deficit to 35-21 early in the second quarter on Kelly Miller's layup, but New York answered with a 15-4 run over the next 6 minutes to extend the lead to 50-25 on Tiffany Jackson's free throws with 1:35 left.
Cappie Pondexter's 3-pointer at the buzzer had Phoenix trailing 52-30 at the half. The 52 points in the first half tied a Liberty record set in 2001 against Phoenix. The 30 points were a season low for the Mercury, who had won four of their last six games since beginning the season 0-4.
Phoenix got no closer than 20 in the third and the Liberty led by 34 in the fourth quarter. Erlana Larkins banked home a shot to put the Liberty over the 100-point mark with just over 2 minutes left.
Pondexter, who leads the league with 25.7 points per game, had an off game. She was just 4-for-16 from the field and finished with 16.
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