GAME BLOG: MYSTICS VS. SILVER STARS

4th Quarter 0:33: Silver Stars 79 - Mystics 73
By: Ben Raby
WASHINGTON- Silver Stars guard Becky Hammon has just made a pair of free throws to put San Antonio up by six with 33 seconds left to play. Hammon is 8-8 from the foul line on the afternoon and has a game-high 26 points.

Alana Beard leads Washington with 20 points, while former Maryland Terp Crystal Langhorne has a career high 15 points.

4th Quarter 4:51: Silver Stars 65 - Mystics 61
The Mystics trail again by four points, but they're making San Antonio work every trip down the floor. Washington took its first lead since early in the second quarter, when a pair of Monique Currie free throws put the Mystics ahead 61-60. But Silver Stars guard Becky Hammon has scored five straight points to put San Antonio back in front.

Hammon now leads the Silver Stars with 19 points, while Ann Wauters has 18. Alana Beard, after scoring just two points in the first half, has a team-high 17 for the Mystics. Beard has been the catalyst for the Washington comeback.

End 3rd Quarter: Silver Stars 57 - Mystics 53
At least the Mystics are trying to make things interesting. Just when it seemed this game was getting out of reach, with the Silver Stars leading by 13, Washington decided to play more aggresively, taking the ball to the basket, and even applying full court pressure.

That game plan has helped the Mystics climb back in this one, cutting San Antonio's lead to as little as two points. Alana Beard has finally gotten back on the scoring sheet with nine points in the quarter's final five minutes. Beard now has 11 points in the game, one behind Taj McWilliams-Franklin's team-high 12 points. Ann Wauters continues to lead San Anotonio with 16 points. Could be an interesting fourth quarter...

3rd Quarter 5:26: Silver Stars 50 - Mystics 37
The Silver Stars have opened up the game's biggest lead, thanks to a balanced attack (four different players have scored this half) combined with poor shooting by the Mystics.

Washington could really use leading scorer Alana Beard (19.1 ppg), who has been limited to just one first quarter bucket.

Mystics coach Tree Rollins has just called a timeout.

Halftime: Silver Stars 36 - Mystics 28
The Mystics will start the second half down by eight, their largest deficit of the afternoon. The Silver Stars outscored Washington 23-11 in the second quarter, thanks in big part to inside players Ann Wauters (13 points) and Ruth Riley (six points).

Crystal Langhorne and Taj McWilliams-Franklin have six points apiece to lead the Mystics.

2nd Quarter 2:03: Silver Stars 29 - Mystics 24
So much for the Mystics strong start to this afternoon's game. San Antonio has regained the lead and seem to be in control of the game. Washington led by as many as eight early in the second quarter, but the Silver Stars used a 16-2 run to jump back in front.

San Antonio center Ann Wauters had nine of game-high 13 points during that run. Between Wauters and Ruth Riley (six points), San Antonio's inside game is proving tough to defend for the smaller Mystics.

2nd Quarter 7:58: Mystics 21 - Silver Stars 20
The Mystics opened the second quarter with two quick baskets by Crystal Langhorne and Taj McWilliams-Franklin to take their biggest lead of the day, 21-13.

That prompted San Anotonia Coach Dan Hughes to call a timeout, and the Silver Stars have since gone on a 7-0 run to cut Washington's lead to one.

End 1st Quarter: Mystics 17 - Silver Stars 13
A Chrystal Langhorne putback at the buzzer gives the Mystics a 17-13 lead after one quarter at the Verizon Center.

Langhorne leads the Mystics with four points. She also has a team-high four rebounds. The Mystics scoring was pretty well balanced with seven different players ending the quarter with at least two points.

Sophia Young leads San Antonio with seven points.

The Mystics trailed 2-0 early on, but used a 7-0 to gain control of the game. They have led ever since.