Friday March 29th, 2024 3:54AM

McCoughtry, de Souza lead Dream past Lynx

By The Associated Press
ATLANTA -- Angel McCoughtry scored 23 points, Erika de Souza had 16 points and 11 rebounds and the Atlanta Dream held off the Minnesota Lynx 85-82 on Friday night.<br /> <br /> The Dream had lost 12 of their last 13 games against the Lynx, including sweeps in the 2011 and 2013 WNBA Finals. However, Atlanta (6-3) sealed its third straight victory when McCoughtry grabbed a defensive rebound, was fouled by Maya Moore and hit an ensuing free throw with 2.8 seconds remaining.<br /> <br /> Lindsay Whalen finished with 22 points, Janel McCarville had a season-high 18 and Seimone Augustus scored 17 for Minnesota (8-2).<br /> <br /> Moore, the finals MVP last season, had 10 points and nine rebounds.<br /> <br /> Sancho Lyttle added 10 points and 12 rebounds, Tiffany Hayes finished with 15 points and Jasmine Thomas had 13 as Atlanta's five starters each scored in double figures.<br /> <br /> The Lynx, who began the season with six straight wins, gave up the lead for good when Thomas' layup made it 11-10 midway through the first quarter and trailed by 20 late in the second.<br /> <br /> Trailing by 17 to begin the third, the Lynx trimmed the lead to nine on Whalen's second straight jumper at the 6:29 mark.<br /> <br /> But McCoughtry pushed the lead to 61-46 with consecutive 3s, and the Dream led by 13 entering the fourth.<br /> <br /> Minnesota cut the lead to 77-74 on Tricia Liston's 3 with 5:06 remaining, and a pair of free throws by Moore made it 82-80 at the 1:58 mark.<br /> <br /> After McCoughtry hit an 18-footer with 42.8 seconds to go for an 84-80 lead, Augustus' 14-footer made it 84-82, but the Lynx's last field-goal attempt fell into McCoughtry's hands on Whalen's missed runner.<br /> <br /> Thomas hit her first three attempts beyond the arc and had 11 points in the first half. Her 3 from the right side made it 45-26 late in the second quarter.<br /> <br /> Atlanta took the game's biggest lead at 20 on McCoughtry's free throw with 2:05 left in the second. The Dream were up 50-33 at halftime as de Souza had 13 points and eight rebounds and McCoughtry scored 12 points.<br /> <br /> Dream reserve guard Shoni Schimmel finished with two assists to become just the sixth WNBA rookie to have at least 52 through first nine games of her career.
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