UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) -- Tina Charles was determined to make up for a poor offensive performance against the New York Liberty in the last matchup. She only had to wait two days to get another chance at them. <\/p>\n
Charles had 23 points and nine rebounds while playing nearly 38 minutes, and the Connecticut Sun beat the Liberty 85-74 on Saturday night. <\/p>\n
The third-year center, who scored a season-low four points in the Sun's 79-66 loss at New York on Thursday night in the teams' first game after the monthlong Olympic break, played the entire first half. <\/p>\n
''I have never not taken her out in the first half,'' Sun coach Mike Thibault said. ''I talked to her and said, 'You let me know when you need a sub tonight.' She said, 'Coach, I'm staying out there.' So, 'Yes, ma'am.' I might not say that to some other people, but I know when she is feeling that way. She had that look in her eye. I know she didn't like the other night in New Jersey and she wanted to make up for it.'' <\/p>\n
Kara Lawson had 21 points and Allison Hightower added a career-high 20 for the Eastern Conference-leading Sun (16-5). Mistie Mims, playing in place of the injured Asjha Jones (strained left Achilles tendon), added 11 points, four rebounds and four assists. <\/p>\n
''We had some people step up pretty big-time tonight and make shots - between Tina in the first half and Kara and Allie throughout the game, and Mistie was everywhere on the boards,'' Thibault said. <\/p>\n
Charles also became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 1,000 rebounds, accomplishing it in her 89th game - three fewer than Yolanda Griffith's previous mark. <\/p>\n
Cappie Pondexter had 17 points and five assists for the Liberty (7-13). Essence Carson also scored 17 and Plenette Pierson added 14 points and eight rebounds. <\/p>\n
Connecticut capitalized on 26 New York turnovers, scoring 28 points off the miscues. <\/p>\n
''We went from six turnovers the other night to 26 tonight,'' Liberty coach John Whisenant said. ''We have to keep our turnovers under 15 to compete with a team like that. ... We got them the other night and they made a lot of turnovers. We made eight turnovers in the first quarter (tonight) and that just digs you a big hole.'' <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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\nCharles scores 23 to lead Sun past Liberty<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"