Carla Leite and Emily Engstler had double-doubles, five teammates scored in double figures and the visiting Portland Fire defeated the Atlanta Dream 102-92 on Saturday.
Engstler finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds, Leite had 13 points and 10 assists, Megan Gustafson scored 17 points, Serah Williams scored 15, Bridget Carleton had 12, Frieda Buhner added 11 and Teja Oblak 10 for the Fire (10-13), who had their highest point total in a regulation game this season.
Allisha Gray scored 20 points, Madina Okot had 19, Naz Hillmon had 15, Sika Kone scored 11, Jordin Canada added 10 points and 12 assists and Rhyne Howard scored 10 for the Dream (13-10), who played without third-leading scorer and leading rebounder Angel Reese.
Leite made two free throws to start the second-half scoring and give the Fire their biggest lead to that point, 53-44. Howard made consecutive 3-pointers and assisted on Hillmon’s three-point play as the Dream took a 60-59 lead.
The lead changed hands seven more times before Williams made consecutive layups and Nyadiew Puoch added a 3-pointer to help Portland open a 78-72 lead. Atlanta crept within four points before Gustafson converted a three-point play and Engstler added two free throws to help the Fire take an 83-75 lead at the end of the third quarter.
The Dream got within six points twice early in the fourth quarter, but Leite’s 3-pointer pushed the lead to 88-79 and the margin was never fewer than six points after that.
The score was tied four times and the lead changed hands three times before Canada’s layup completed an 8-0 run that gave Atlanta a 14-8 lead. Williams converted a three-point play and Buhner and Carleton each made a 3-pointer to help Portland pull within one point.
Okot made a layup for the Dream’s only field goal during the final 3:22, and the Fire scored the final five points to take a 25-23 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Carleton made a 3-pointer to start the second-quarter scoring before Gray’s 3-pointer and Canada’s layup gave Atlanta a 31-30 lead. The score was tied three times before Carleton made two more 3-pointers and Gustafson added one to help Portland grab a 48-40 lead.
The Dream scored the next four points, but Leite made three free throws with 0.6 seconds left to give the Fire a 51-44 halftime lead.
–Field Level Media
