Fowles scores 15 in Sky loss to Liberty

If 5,881 screaming fans weren't enough to bring on a headache, the Sky's play on Wednesday sure could have.

Camp Day brought thousands of loud, high-pitched kids from area summer camps to the UIC Pavilion to cheer on the Sky in its midday showdown against the New York Liberty.

Problem was, they didn't have much to cheer about by the end.

The Sky blew a 12-point, second-half lead and was out-scored 16-3 in the final 4:50 en route to a 77-70 defeat.

The Sky (8-9) is now 6-2 at the Pavilion.

"We're aggravated," Sky forward Candice Dupree said. "We definitely have to win home games."

The Liberty (6-8) got four 3-pointers from reserve guard Sidney Spencer in the final five minutes. Spencer wound up with 15 points, leading four players in double figures for the Liberty.

"We just don't play defense in the fourth quarter," Dupree said. "Sidney Spencer came in the game and the scouting reports says she's a shooter and we give her (four) 3s in the fourth quarter. She had wide-open 3-pointers. That killed us. We can't do stuff like that."

Nor can the Sky continue to let teams off the hook. It's been an issue at times this season.

"This game to us is very disappointing," Sky coach Steven Key said. "We stopped playing. Our energy was not there.

"We've had that (killer) instinct before, we've gutted out a win, but we didn't have that today and that's something we need to work on."

The Sky, which got 15 points from center Sylvia Fowles and 14 points apiece out of guards Jia Perkins and Erin Thorn, has a chance to get back in the saddle immediately in today's road game against the Washington Mystics.

With a road record of 2-7, the Sky could use an inspired effort.

"We've struggled on the road," Perkins said. "But we have to become a road team. It's the only way we can win in the playoffs. We have to do that now, starting (today)."