The Connecticut Sun wanted to make a mess of things in their WNBA semifinal series against the defending champion Chicago Sky.

The Sun did that and more in Game 1 on Sunday night.

Jonquel Jones banked in a runner with 1 minute, 45 seconds left for the go-ahead basket as the third-seeded Sun scratched out a 68-63 win over the defending champions in the opener of their best-of-five series before 8,955 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago.

Game 2 is Wednesday night at the same site (8, ESPN2).

“It all started with our energy and effort,” Connecticut head coach Curt Miller said. “I know I’ve talked about this in the nicest way possible but we have to make this series messy.

“(There are) a lot of free-flowing offenses of the four teams left (in the playoffs) and we know who we are. We’re blue collar. We’re going to be good around the basket. We’re going to rebound. We’re going to defend our tails off. We have to make it messy and we got the game messy tonight which was to our advantage.”

The game was the basketball equivalent of a rock fight with both teams shooting under 40%.

Connecticut shot poorly (37.3%) but got the Sky to shoot worse (35.3%).

“Definitely messy when you shoot 4 for 16,” Sun DeWanna Bonner laughed referencing her shooting. “We hang our hats on defense. … We’ve been playing that way all year (and) if we can play defense that way, we feel confident to pull out any game. I think that’s what we relied on in the fourth quarter.”

Bonner had 15 points, nine rebounds, five assists and three steals for the Sun and Alyssa Thomas had 12 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists.

Jonquel Jones added 12 points and nine rebounds and Brionna Jones scored 12.

Connecticut overcame a fantastic performance by Candace Parker for the second-seeded Sky. She had 19 points, 18 rebounds, six blocks, five assists and four steals.

Kahleah Copper added 13 points for Chicago and Emma Meesseman added 10 points and seven assists.

It was the fewest points Chicago scored in a game this year. It averaged 86.3 points during the regular season (second overall in the league) and averaged a league-high 48.1% shooting.

“I think we were a little surprised by the hedging (on defense by Connecticut),” Chicago’s Azura Stevens said. “I don’t think we were prepared for that

“I think we dribbled a little too much and that sort of played into their favor because they were trapping a lot. They were getting their hands on a lot of balls and the best way to combat that is to move it.”

The Sun outrebounded Chicago, 47-36. They also turned 12 turnovers by the latter into 20 points.

“We knew it was going to be a battle on the boards,” Stevens said, “but they came out like super-physical and, you know, we’re more prepared for it now.”

Sky Allie Quigley said, “It was a boring game. It was just, that’s not the game we like to play. So I think for (the Sun) to win they have to play that kind of game. So we just have to enforce our will and enforce our style on them.”

Connecticut was able to defend and be physical without sending the Sky to the free throw line. The latter made 7 of 9, and Chicago head coach James Wade mentioned several times during the postgame about the lack of calls.

“We only had nine free throw attempts,” Wade said. “I’ve never seen that before.”

“Hey, I mean, we have to get used to that part of it, like how the games are being called. So that’s something we’re not used to but I had a feeling (about) that (happening), so it’s okay.”

The Sun emphasized in the lead-up to the game that they needed to play strong in the first quarter. Chicago outscored them by an average of over 10 points in that quarter during the regular season. It also averaged 69.2% shooting in those first quarters.

Connecticut scored 11 straight early in the first quarter Sunday night to take an 11-4 lead with 5:46 left in the period. Jonquel Jones made a three during that run and Natisha Hiedeman finished it with a 9-foot runner.

The Sun led 19-16 after the first. They scored nine off six turnovers.

“I know that they’ve been talking about their first quarters,” Quigley said. “I know that their only chance against us is to punch us first.”

Chicago consistently found ways to win this season and it almost did it again on Sunday as it opened the fourth quarter with an 11-2 run to take the lead.

Copper finished the run with two free throws to put the Sky ahead, 57-56, with 5:13 remaining.

Meesseman’s three put Chicago ahead, 63-62, with 2:11 left.

Jonquel Jones followed with her driving bank shot to give Connecticut the lead for good.

Bonner added two free throws with 1:31 left to extend the Sun’s lead.

Jonquel Jones blocked Parker’s 5-foot shot attempt 23 seconds later and Bonner grabbed the rebound.

The Sun didn’t score on their next possession but Jonquel Jones and Hiedeman each came up with an offensive rebound to help run the clock down to 17.1 seconds.

Parker missed a three on the other end and Thomas threw the pass downcourt to an open Bonner for a layup.

“Just really proud,” Miller said. “We were rattled in the fourth quarter and our veterans settled down and we made enough plays to win this game.

“This series against each other (during the regular season) have really come down to those last couple of minutes over-and-over-and-over again and tonight we made those plays.”

n.griffen@theday.com