Shock 99, Silver Stars 88

Shock 99, Silver Stars 88
Eds: STANDS for BC-BKL--WNBA Rdp
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) -- The Detroit Shock played like a team on a mission from the opening tip.
"I think this was one of our more important games because we had to show that we could bounce right back from a loss," Detroit's Swin Cash said.
Cash scored a career-high 26 points, and the Shock set a WNBA record for the most first-half points in a 99-88 victory over the San Antonio Silver Stars on Tuesday night.
"Normally, 88 points is going to be more than enough to win a game," Silver Stars coach Candi Harvey said. "But that was an offensive machine that we just ran into."
The win came in Detroit's first game since Phoenix snapped its eight-game winning streak Saturday.
"San Antonio wanted to run in spurts, but we can run for 40 minutes," Cash said. "That's what teams don't expect."
The Shock's first-half total broke Los Angeles' record of 55 against Utah last Aug. 4.
"This was our kind of game tonight," said Detroit's Kedra Holland-Corn, who scored 14 points. "When we can run, we are a very good ballclub and very tough to handle. When it is a halfcourt game, we seem to get bored and lethargic."
In other WNBA games, it was: New York 90, Connecticut 64 and Houston 71, Minnesota 69.
Deanna Nolan added 15 points for Detroit, while Cheryl Ford had 12 points and 15 rebounds. Detroit had six players score in double figures for the third time this season.
"In a running game like this, everyone is going to get a chance to score," Shock coach Bill Laimbeer said. "San Antonio came out with their running shoes on, and we were able to attack them. When we can do that, we are at our best."
Marie Ferdinand had 26 points and Adrienne Goodson added 22 -- both season highs for the San Antonio players.
"We didn't play well on defense, but give them credit," Goodson said. "They push the ball and they never let up. They just have so many weapons."
San Antonio led by as many as eight in the first half, but Detroit rallied behind Cash's 16 points to take a 56-47 halftime lead.
The Shock increased their lead to 13 early in the second half, but the Silver Stars answered with a 20-8 run to pull within 70-68 with 12:06 left. Ferdinand had six points in the run.
The Silver Stars got as close as 72-71, but Holland-Corn's 3-pointer started a 9-0 run that give Detroit a 10-point lead. The Shock led by as many as 17 late in the game.
Liberty 90, Sun 64
Crystal Robinson matched her season high with 22 points and Tamika Whitmore added 17 points and six rebounds as New York beat Connecticut.
New York won in its first game since losing leading scorer Becky Hammon to a season-ending ACL injury last Wednesday.
Tari Phillips added 13 points and seven rebounds for the Liberty, who shot 62 percent from the field and outrebounded the Sun 35-19.
Nykesha Sales tied a season-high with 26 points for visiting Connecticut, which lost its third straight and fifth of six.
Comets 71, Lynx 69
Janeth Arcain's fade-away jumper with 2 seconds left gave Houston the victory at home.
Sheryl Swoopes' three-point play with 36 seconds left tied it for the Comets at 69-69. Houston had the chance at the game-winner after Teresa Edwards missed a 3-pointer on Minnesota's next possession.
After a timeout, Arcain took the inbounds pass from Tina Thompson and hit the jumper from just inside the top of the key.
Swoopes, who led the Comets with 19 points, became the sixth WNBA player to score 2,500 points when she made her first of two free throws 7:33 into the second half.
Katie Smith of Minnesota then became the seventh player to reach the milestone when she made two free throws with 2:01 to play. She finished with 21 points and eight rebounds.