Packed with a well-rounded offensive and defensive package, the Liberty made getting their first win of the 2009 season look easy. They thrashed the San Antonio Silver Stars, 77-61 before 8,046 fans at Madison Square Garden.
Liberty center Janel McCarville swooshed 18 points, the game high, while pulling down 6 rebounds.
"They were fresh in our minds, we had them all week," says McCarville about having just played San Antonio six days before and not playing anyone else since. "We didn't have to transition from one team to another...we worked on the same sets that we worked on a week ago."
Perhaps a source of frustration for some longtime Liberty fans...in the last meeting, San Antonio's two ex-Liberty guards played, and came up with a combined 22 points. But neither made the trip to New York, despite longtime Liberty fans' eagerness to see them (one missed due to a family emergency, the other because of a brief overseas commitment).
"Obviously, it helped having them missing Vickie (Johnson) and Becky (Hammon)," says McCarville. "But you know, we definitely knew what we were up against, and came out and tried to take advantage of it."
Forward Shameka Christon drilled 15 points and caught 6 boards, while guard Essence Carson scored 13, to finish off the trio of torches in double figures.
McCarville speaks for the team about the relief felt in getting the first win.
"It's nice," she says. "Even though there's pressure on us, we've been forcing some games. We just came out and played."
Silver Star Thoughts
Going on the road without two of their biggest scorers, San Antonio knew beating New York was going to take a colossal effort from everyone who did play. Yet Coach Dan Hughes feels that the Stars' play early could have been much better.
"To me it was the separation in the first quarter," says Hughes, whose team trailed 31-10 at the end of 10 minutes of play. "We did not defend particularly well, we did not value the ball really. Our next three quarters were how we envisioned the game would be played."
San Antonio outscored New York 51-46 in the other three quarters, but that effort proved insignificant. Their scoring leaders both came from the bench, guards Shanna Crossley and Edwige Lawson-Wade, both of whom scored 12 points apiece. Forward Sophia Young threw in 10.
Liberty Hit The Road
New York spent Friday night enjoying their first win, but now must take their newfound confidence to Atlanta, to face the 2-2 Dream.
"Where do we take it from here? We take it one game at a time," says McCarville. "We can't think 'we're 1-3, we have a big hill to climb.' If we do what we need to do and handle our business, the victories will come out and be evident themselves."
