Connecticut beats Stars with four starters in double figures
Mohegan — Connecticut Sun coach Curt Miller didn’t let his team know just how antsy he was during Tuesday’s shootaround for that night’s game against the San Antonio Stars.
Miller didn’t have to, either.
“He was real tight,” Connecticut’s Alex Bentley said with a grin. “We knew, for sure, that we would have to definitely come out swinging for him. That’s what we did today.”
Bentley did her part as she opened Tuesday’s game with back-to-back 3-pointers as the Sun mashed the remnant of the Stars 89-62 before 5,291 fans at Mohegan Sun Arena.
“It was our last stand, we felt,” Miller said. “We have a very difficult schedule (left). Both teams were really banged up tonight. It was a M*A*S*H unit. (San Antonio) dressed eight and (we) dressed 10, but probably legitimately had nine healthy people.
“It was almost a must-win for us.”
Connecticut was without rookie reserve Morgan Tuck. She tweaked her knee during Sunday’s loss and the extent of the injury isn’t yet known.
It was the seventh win in 11 games for the Sun (10-17). They’re 1 1/2 games out of eighth place with seven games left. The top eight teams qualify for the postseason, regardless of conference.
“It was obviously a big bounce back after a flat performance in Atlanta (an 87-73 loss),” Miller said. “I thought a lot of people played really well and hard, but our backcourt (Jasmine Thomas and Bentley) really got us going tonight.
“I thought Jas played really well. She seems motivated every time she plays against Moriah (Jefferson) and she really got us going. Alex was efficient tonight and really gave us a spark making some 3s. After a night we thought our backcourt got outplayed in Atlanta, they really stepped up to the challenge and I am proud of the way they got us started.”
Bentley scored a game-high 21 in 24 minutes. Thomas scored 10 of her 14 points in the first quarter and added six rebounds, six assists and four steals. She’s scored a career-high 291 this season.
“We, as a team, were embarrassed two nights ago,” Bentley said of Sunday’s loss. “We didn’t come out hard. We didn’t come out swinging.
“Today, we just had that extra chip on our shoulder and made sure we handled our business.”
The Sun used nine players and everyone scored. Alyssa Thomas had 16 points and seven rebounds and Chiney Ogwumike had 16 points and six rebounds.
Reserve Jonquel Jones had nine points, six rebounds and two blocks before fouling out. Camille Little tied a career high with seven assists.
It was also Miller’s 300th career win as a head coach at any level.
Astou Ndour had 12 points and five rebounds for the league-worst Stars (6-20). UConn rookie Moriah Jefferson added 10 points.
The Stars were without starter Dearica Hamby (flu) and reserve Kayla Alexander, who suffered a concussion during Sunday’s win at the Washington Mystics.
Alex Montgomery (sprained knee) was not with the team and San Antonio lost its best player, All-Star Kayla McBride, to a fractured right foot halfway through the season.
Connecticut never trailed thanks to Bentley's opening 3-pointers. Jones’ putback gave the Sun a 28-9 lead to end the first quarter.
San Antonio fought back and cut its deficit to 34-21 with 4 minutes, 54 seconds left in the first half.
The Sun closed with a 15-4 run. Bentley scored seven of those points. Thomas’ three-point play with seconds left gave Connecticut a 49-25 lead.
Shekinna Stricklen’s 3-pointer gave the Sun their largest lead, 79-42, with 5:58 left in the game.
Miller was still animated late, though.
“I was proud of the way they took care of business in the first half,” Miller said, “but we still made a lot of assignment errors in the second half per our scouting report. And in a close game, those things come back to haunt you.
“The perfectionist that I am, I’m disappointed when we make mistakes that we have prepared for.”
n.griffen@theday.com
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