Sky drops game to Detroit Shock 66-63
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Cheryl Ford scored 14 points and rookie Tasha Humphrey added 12 to keep the Detroit Shock unbeaten at home with a 66-63 victory Wednesday over the Chicago Sky.
In front of a crowd of mostly kids from summer camps, Detroit took control midway in the second period and cruised to a 10-0 home record.
Ford and Humphrey were the only Shock players to reach double figures. Guards Katie Smith and Deanna Nolan combined for just 12 points on 5-for-17 shooting.
Jia Perkins of the Sky led all scorers with 26 points, and Candice Dupree had 12.
Detroit dominated at both ends of the floor in the first half as it built a 39-22 lead. The Shock outshot the Sky 50 percent to 32 percent, outrebounded them 17-14 and had 10 assists to five for Chicago.
The Sky trailed by as many as 23 in the first half, but put together a rally in the fourth, pulling within 53-47 on Quianna Chaney's layup with 6:11 left.
After Humphrey split a pair of free throws, Perkins made it 54-50 with a 3-pointer, then added a pair of free throws to pull Chicago within two midway through the quarter.
Perkins and Brooke Wyckoff missed game-tying 3-pointers in the final 45 seconds, but Armintie Price's put-back made it 64-63 with 38 seconds to go.
Alexis Hornbuckle tapped in an offensive rebound to move the margin back to three, and Perkins missed twice in the final seconds.