Shock advances on Cash's layup
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Swin Cash's layup with 8.5 seconds remaining in overtime lifted the Detroit Shock to a 71-70 victory over the New York Liberty in the decisive Game 3 of their first round Eastern Conference series on Tuesday night.
Deanna Nolan scored 22 points, and Cheryl Ford added 17 points and 10 rebounds to help defending champion Detroit advance to the East finals against Indiana. Game 1 is Friday night at Indianapolis.
After Cash's tiebreaking basket, Janel McCarville had a chance to pull the Liberty even with 3.7 seconds left but missed her second free throw, and Loree Moore couldn't keep the rebound inbounds.
Catherine Kraayeveld had 16 points, and rookie Tiffany Jackson scored 14 for New York, which led by 10 points midway through the third quarter, and by 5 points with two minutes left in overtime, but couldn't hold either lead.
After cruising to a 73-51 victory in the opener at home, the Liberty fell short in both games on the top-seeded Shock's home court. New York rallied from a 17-point third-quarter deficit before losing 76-73 in Game 2.
New York led 41-31 with 5:34 left in the third period of this game, but couldn't finish off the defending champs. Detroit pulled to 49-43 at the end of the quarter, then scored the first six points of the fourth to tie the game.
Nolan's third jumper of the quarter put Detroit up 53-51 with 6:46 left, but Detroit was scoreless for more than 3 minutes before Cash's putback tied the game with 3:17 to play.
Seconds later, Nolan picked off a pass and dribbled past two New York defenders to give the Shock the lead. Smith, who had missed nine of her first 11 shots, then hit a 3-pointer to make it 60-55.
After two free throws by Kraayeveld, Ford missed a wide-open layup. Cash fouled Moore, but she could only split the free throws, making it 60-58 with 1:23 left.
Cash then turned the ball over, and Kraayeveld tied the game with 53 seconds to play.
Smith put Detroit back in front with a 15-foot jumper, but McCarville's driving layup made it 62-62 with 18 seconds to go. The Shock played for one shot, but Nolan missed a well-guarded jumper from the corner to send the game to the extra period.
The Shock missed their first six shots of overtime, including another open layup for Ford, and Kraayeveld's 3-pointer made it 69-64 with 2 minutes left.
Smith, though, answered with a 3-pointer and Nolan made a jumper to quickly pull Detroit even.
After a shot-clock violation, Cash missed, but Ford grabbed the rebound. Smith missed, but Plenette Pierson got Detroit's 16th offensive rebound and fed Cash for the go-ahead basket.
Pierson, though, was called for a foul on McCarville, giving New York a chance to tie again.
After McCarville's miss, New York needed to foul twice to put Detroit on the line, and ran out of time.
Pierson, who was awarded the league's first Sixth Woman award before the game, fouled out without scoring.