Lynx put "sunscreen" on just in time

BY MIKE PEDEN

Pictures from Onika Nicole Craven

The last time all five starters for the Minnesota Lynx scored double-figures at home, they ended up losing to the last-seeded team in the Western Conference.

The same scenario nearly played out against the East's Connecticut Sun Friday night at Target Center, but a dominance in rebounds helped the Lynx stop their three-game losing streak with a 95-88 win.

The Lynx (11-10) outrebounded the Sun (10-10) 45-27 for the game. In the second half, the Lynx scooped up just about every missed shot from the Sun, holding them to just three offensive rebounds.

Lynx forward Charde Houston and Lynx Center Nicky Anosike each posted double-doubles. Anosike racked up 19 points, including an 11-14 performance from the free throw line, while scooping up 12 rebounds. Houston scored 16 points and picked up 10 rebounds, her last board earned on the game's final play.

"It bounced straight up and I was like 'No!' But I jumped up and got it," Houston said.

"There's certain things I can control, and one of those is rebounding," Anosike said. "I really tried to make an effort to get in there and board."

Rookie guard Renee Montgomery scored a career-high 24 points, sinking nine of her 13 field goal tries.

"Today I just decided to be aggressive and go at the rim and drive until somebody stops me," she said.

While no Sun player could stop Montgomery's right-side layups, her team almost stopped themselves.

The Lynx almost literally threw the game away with several errant passes in the second and fourth quarters. The Lynx committed 15 turnovers against the Sun's six, leading to 17 points for the Sun off turnovers against the Lynx's seven.

The Sun capitalized off those turnovers early, building a 37-27 lead midway through the second before the Lynx cut the margin to three to end the half. The Lynx flirted with the lead in the third, but a hot shooting quarter for the Sun left the Lynx behind by one to start the fourth.

"We cannot dwell on that. We turned the ball over (and) we fought hard on defense to get the ball back," said Lynx head coach Jennifer Gillom.

A Montgomery three-pointer with 5:42 left in the fourth put the Lynx up 81-78, starting a 7-1 run that gave the Lynx enough of a cushion to keep the lead for good.

Former Golden Gopher Lindsay Whalen scored 15 points for the Sun and picked up six assists, getting her annual cheer from Lynx fans when her name was called in the starting lineup.

"They started attacking and started getting in the lane," she said. "They hit a couple of big shots."

Not only did the Lynx win put Gillom's team one game above the .500 mark for the season, Gillom earned a hug from team owner Glen Taylor, drawing laughter from the journalists reporting the game.

"He's going to have to give me one every game now," Gillom said.