Sky fly high late in the fourth to stay undefeated on their home floor!
June 30, 2009 by Joe Phillips, Editor-in-Chief SC Media
The Sky improved their record to 6-3 overall and 5-0 at home as they defeated the league's worst team the Sacramento Monarchs (1-8), 74-72 in front of a packed house at the UIC Pavilion on Tuesday night.
After a see-saw battle in the first half, the Sky would finally slow down the Monarchs up-tempo style offense late in the fourth quarter as they would explode for nine straight points of their own, seven of the nine were attributed to guard Jia Perkins who sat out majority of the third quarter with a strained calf muscle.
"I asked coach (Key) to rest me for a while because my calf muscle started cramping up," said Perkins who'd finish with 17 points, eight assist on 6-of-13 shooting.
"But after running for a little while it started to loosen up and I was able to get balance on my shot."
Perkins was courageous in her effort as her team would fall behind by as many as eight points throughout the game.
Perkins would go on to sink one of two free-throw attempts with 3.8 seconds left to put the Sky ahead for good at 74-70 before Nicole Powell, who led all scorer's with 21 points hit a closing basket for Sacramento making the score 74-72 as time expired.
Sky coach Steven Key was very impressed with Perkins courageous performance but Key would credit his team's fourth quarter turnaround to Candice Dupree for providing leadership down the stretch.
"I try to," Dupree said. "It's my fourth year in the league. I can't just lead by example, so I am trying to be a little more vocal, you know, talking during timeouts, gathering each other on the court and talking. It's not an easy task, but somebody has to do it. So I take pride in it."
Key believes Dupree's leadership has been the key to the team's 6-3 start. He explained that last year at this time the team was looking for a leader and now they have one in Candice.
"If we had won any other way, we probably would feel uncomfortable," Sky coach Steven Key said. "We've already established it, and this solidifies it tonight that we are not going to fold down at crunch time. ... And we are very fortunate to have some players to make some really big plays for us."
"At the end of the day we have to win games," said the Monarchs' Kara Lawson (11 points). "We're last place in the league. I'm not one for moral victories."
Perkins led the Sky with 17 points, followed by Candice Dupree with 16 and Sylvia Fowles with 14. Fowles also pulled down 14 rebounds.
After a see-saw battle in the first half, the Sky would finally slow down the Monarchs up-tempo style offense late in the fourth quarter as they would explode for nine straight points of their own, seven of the nine were attributed to guard Jia Perkins who sat out majority of the third quarter with a strained calf muscle.
"I asked coach (Key) to rest me for a while because my calf muscle started cramping up," said Perkins who'd finish with 17 points, eight assist on 6-of-13 shooting.
"But after running for a little while it started to loosen up and I was able to get balance on my shot."
Perkins was courageous in her effort as her team would fall behind by as many as eight points throughout the game.
Perkins would go on to sink one of two free-throw attempts with 3.8 seconds left to put the Sky ahead for good at 74-70 before Nicole Powell, who led all scorer's with 21 points hit a closing basket for Sacramento making the score 74-72 as time expired.
Sky coach Steven Key was very impressed with Perkins courageous performance but Key would credit his team's fourth quarter turnaround to Candice Dupree for providing leadership down the stretch.
"I try to," Dupree said. "It's my fourth year in the league. I can't just lead by example, so I am trying to be a little more vocal, you know, talking during timeouts, gathering each other on the court and talking. It's not an easy task, but somebody has to do it. So I take pride in it."
Key believes Dupree's leadership has been the key to the team's 6-3 start. He explained that last year at this time the team was looking for a leader and now they have one in Candice.
"If we had won any other way, we probably would feel uncomfortable," Sky coach Steven Key said. "We've already established it, and this solidifies it tonight that we are not going to fold down at crunch time. ... And we are very fortunate to have some players to make some really big plays for us."
"At the end of the day we have to win games," said the Monarchs' Kara Lawson (11 points). "We're last place in the league. I'm not one for moral victories."
Perkins led the Sky with 17 points, followed by Candice Dupree with 16 and Sylvia Fowles with 14. Fowles also pulled down 14 rebounds.