Asjha Jones scores 24 points to lead Sun to third straight win, 82-68 over Dream

Jones scores 24 as Sun beat Dream 82-68

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Asjha Jones had season highs with 24 points and 12 rebounds, and the Connecticut Sun beat the Atlanta Dream 82-68 Saturday night for their third straight victory.

Erin Phillips scored 17 points, Lindsay Whalen had 14 and Kerri Gardin added 10 points and nine rebounds for the Sun (4-3).

“We haven’t played in a week and the last time we played them we were awful,” Jones said, alluding to a five-point loss to the Dream two weeks earlier. “I was ready to play.”

Connecticut led by eight with 9:11 remaining before a 15-5 run secured the win. Phillips made two of her five 3-point field goals during the run.

“This was a really, really good win,” Connecticut coach Mike Thibault said. “We stunk the last time we played them. We were better in every phase of the game.”

Iziane Castro-Marques scored 16 points to lead Atlanta (4-5). Erika DeSouza and Angel McCoughtry had 12 points apiece and Chamique Holdsclaw scored 10.

The Sun, playing without rookie center Chante Black (sprained elbow), used a 15-0 run in the second quarter to erase a nine-point deficit and take a 43-35 halftime lead.

“Seeing as how we were short-handed, I thought we did a good job of balancing what we needed to do,” Thibault said.

Atlanta, playing for the second straight night, didn’t arrive at the arena from the airport until four hours before tipoff.

“I don’t think our play was that bad,” Dream coach Marynell Meadors said. “We had some shots that didn’t fall.”

Atlanta made 10 of its first 13 shots from the field, and finished 24 for 51 (47 percent).