MIAMI (AP) -- The Miami Sol can't seem to win in overtime -- unless they play rival Orlando.
|  | | Orlando's Nykesha Sales, right, fouls Miami's Debbie Black as she tries to drive to the basket. |
Sandy Brondello tied a season-high with 23 points as the Miami
Sol came back from an early deficit to defeat the Orlando Miracle
71-63 in overtime Friday night.
Sheri Sam added 20 points and eight rebounds for the Sol
(14-10). Elena Baranova set a season-high with seven assists and
Debbie Black finished with five steals.
"Big, huge, monstrous; can I say it any other way?" was Miami
coach Ron Rothstein's reaction when asked to describe the victory.
Shannon Johnson, who passed the 1,000-point plateau for her
career early in the game, led Orlando (9-14) with 14 points and
Nykehsa Sales had 13.
Miami had won seven in a row before dropping its last game in
overtime at Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland on Wednesday. The Sol
had won the first meeting between Florida franchises July 10 in
Orlando in overtime. Overall, Miami is 2-4 in overtime games this
season.
"Our overtime record hasn't been that great, and this is
probably the most points we've scored in overtime," Black said.
"It's good to get that monkey off our back."
The Sol led 57-55 with 13.1 seconds left in regulation, but with
the shot clock off, Baranova threw an ill-advised cross-court pass
that Elaine Powell intercepted. She fed Johnson, who tied the game
on a driving lay-up.
Taj McWilliams-Franklin, who scored 11 points, put the Miracle
up 59-57 on a jumper in overtime, but Miami then dominated the extra period. Black
stole the ball from Sales with 2:22 left leading to a lay-up by
Sam, and a 64-59 Miami advantage.
Orlando, which led by as many as 10 in the first half, went into
the break up 32-28. Miami had opened the game with an 11-4 run.
The game featured 12 ties and 12 lead changes.
"We started off very flat tonight," said Brondello, who had
only two points in the first half. "Once we got that energy back,
we just got into the flow. Scoring 14 points in the overtime is a
great effort from us." Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories
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ALSO SEE
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Orlando team page
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