Moore Scores 28, Lynx Cruise To 88-57 Win Over New York

MINNEAPOLIS -- Maya Moore made sure the Minnesota Lynx's losing streak would come to an end.

Moore scored a season-high 28 points, including six 3-pointers, and the Lynx beat the New York Liberty 88-57 Sunday night to end a three-game slide.

Seimone Augustus and Janel McCarville each had 12 points for Minnesota (18-6), which moved one-half game ahead of Los Angeles atop the Western Conference standings.

"It's definitely satisfying, but it's only one game," said Moore, who tied a career high for 3s in a game. "We need to stay on the climb."

Katie Smith and Alex Montgomery scored 11 points each to lead the Liberty (10-15), who were without leading scorer Cappie Pondexter due to a foot injury. New York lost for the third time in four games and dropped one game behind fourth-place Indiana for the last playoff position in the East.

Minnesota had just 16 points in the paint, but made a season-high 11 3s, two nights after scoring just twice from beyond the arc in an 83-77 home loss to Tulsa. The Lynx entered the game averaging just 3.4 made 3s per game, second-worst in the league.

The Lynx used a 16-5 run -- including 3s by Moore and Rachel Jarry -- to take a 59-39 lead late in the third quarter.

Jarry, a rookie who did not play in six of the past eight games, nor the first half, had 11 third-quarter points, including three 3s. Monica Wright, Minnesota's usual first player off the bench, missed the game with a right quad contusion.

Moore, named Western Conference Player of the Week last Monday, hit her last 3 with 4:06 to play to make it 81-54.

Moore had 13 in first quarter, including three 3s, as the Lynx built a 29-16 lead. However, Minnesota started 2 for 13 from the field to start the second quarter, and the Liberty had a 9-0 run to pull to 33-29. A 10-2 Lynx surge over the final 3 minutes of the frame gave them a 43-34 halftime lead.

Minnesota had allowed 85 points per game and 46-percent shooting during its three-game losing streak; 75 points and 40 percent in its first 21 games. The Liberty shot just 31.3 percent, and scored just 23 second-half points for the second straight game.

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