WNBA Bench helps Rockers snap long home skid

Three subs keyed Cleveland's 74-50 win over the New York Liberty.
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Reserve guard Betty Lennox helped the Cleveland Rockers win their first home game in nearly a year.
Lennox scored 14 points as Cleveland defeated the New York Liberty 74-50 Saturday to snap a 10-game home losing streak.
The Rockers, who went 4-12 at home last season, had not won at Gund Arena since defeating Sacramento 73-50 on June 27, 2002.
Pollyanna Johns Kimbrough and Deanna Jackson also came off the bench to help. Each scored 13 points as Rockers reserves had 44 points.
"The depth of our team really showed," Rockers coach Dan Hughes said. "How many situations can you imagine where your top three scorers come off the bench?"
Surges to control
Cleveland took control with a 32-5 run that started with 4 minutes, 53 seconds remaining in the first half, and ended 5:18 into the second.
Nothing seemed to go right for the Liberty in their season opener. At one point during the run, New York guard Becky Hammon lost her shoe. She picked it up, raced down-court with it in her right hand, and was called for a reaching foul with her left hand.
"When you run out of your shoe, there is nothing you can do but laugh because that's what everybody else is doing," Hammon said. "It was just one of those days.
"I'm a little shocked. Obviously you don't ever come out and think you're going to play horribly -- but we did."
A 3-pointer by Crystal Robinson got New York to 23-16 in the first half. It was the last time the Liberty would score until Robinson hit a 12-foot baseline shot to end the Rockers' run and make it 43-18.
At that point, it appeared the Liberty would challenge the WNBA record for fewest points, set by the Washington Mystics in a 69-34 loss at Cleveland on May 31, 2001.
Offense foiled
"We were our own worst enemy," Liberty coach Richie Adubato said. "Not only did they play good defense, but we didn't execute our offense."
Hammon then hit two 3-pointers to give the Liberty a brief spark. Hammon scored 20 points and Robinson finished with nine for New York.
Cleveland (1-1) opened its largest lead at 59-29.
Johns Kimbrough hit all five of her shots from the field. She scored nine points in the first half to help the Rockers lead 33-16 at halftime. New York shot just 21 percent (6-for-28) from the field in the first half.
Rockers center Chasity Melvin scored four points and moved into second place on the team's all-time scoring list with 1,310, six ahead of former forward Eva Nemcova. Merlakia Jones scored six points to extend her team mark to 2,018 points.
Jones had 11 rebounds as Cleveland finished with a 40-19 rebounding advantage.