Led by veteran guard Cappie Pondexter, the Liberty trounced the Mystics, 81-64, yesterday at Madison Square Garden to snap a three-game losing streak.
Pondexter finished with a season-high 21 points, connecting on 10 of 11 shots, and center Tina Charles added 14 points and eight rebounds.
The Liberty rushed out of the gate, scoring the game’s first 10 points, but the Mystics would close the gap by the end of the quarter, propelled by a long-range buzzer beater from Kara Lawson to make it 22-17. The home team would respond, distancing themselves before halftime by outscoring Washington, 32-15, in the second quarter.
From then on, the game was out of reach as the Liberty edged Washington, 41-32, on the boards and shared the ball well, tallying 21 assists. The selflessness proved important for the balanced scoring attack as four Liberty players reached double figures.
The Liberty came into the game last in the Eastern Conference but rose to the occasion against a division rival. They look to build off the win, shifting their focus to a matchup on the road against the Tulsa Shock tomorrow afternoon.
Lawson provided the Mystics’ only spark, scoring 17 off the bench in the loss.
