Candace Parker has 13 points, 12 rebounds to lead Sparks past Monarchs, 59-56

Sparks hold off Monarchs, 59-56

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Candace Parker had 13 points and 12 rebounds, and DeLisha Milton-Jones also scored 13 points in the Los Angeles Sparks’ 59-56 victory over the Sacramento Monarchs on Saturday night.

With the Sparks (6-10) clinging to a one-point lead and scoreless for over 5 minutes, Parker broke free for a lob under the basket, taking an inbounds pass from Milton-Jones. The shot put Los Angeles ahead 57-54 with 25.5 seconds left.

Tina Thompson had 10 points for the Sparks, outscored 11-8 in the fourth quarter.

Nicole Powell had 18 points for Sacramento (5-16).

After Ticha Penicheiro pulled the Monarchs within one with 7 seconds left, Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton made two free throws less than a second later. Powell shot an air ball with 2 seconds left as the Sparks secured the victory.

Neither team could get anything going offensively in a fourth quarter characterized by missed opportunities.

After a horrible second quarter offensively, the Sparks rebounded in the third. Even with Parker going to the bench early in the period, the Sparks efficiently cut into the Sacramento’s 32-27 halftime lead.

Milton-Jones scored seven points and Wisdom-Hylton had six in the third quarter for Los Angeles which had 24-13 advantage in the period and went into the fourth leading 51-45.

The Sparks finished 3-4 in a stretch of road games that began July 9 in New York. The Sparks, 2-10 away from Staples Center, host San Antonio on Tuesday in their first home game since July 5. It also begins a stretch of seven of eight at home.

The Monarchs have also been hampered by a rough schedule in the first half of the season, playing 12 of their first 19 games on the road.

Parker had nine points and six rebounds in the first quarter to help the Sparks take a 21-13 lead.

Los Angeles then had a stretch of nearly 7 minutes without a basket, starting late in the first quarter and extending far into the second.

Powell made three 3-pointers and scored 13 first half points, and the Monarchs used a 19-6 scoring edge in the second quarter to take their halftime lead.