Catchings, Fever heat up in fourth quarter for 88-79 win over Mystics in playoff opener

Fever heat up for 88-79 playoff win over Mystics

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Tamika Catchings had 26 points and 12 rebounds, and the top-seeded Indiana Fever opened the fourth quarter with a 17-3 run to pull away from the Washington Mystics for an 88-79 victory in the opener of their Eastern Conference first-round series Thursday night.

Katie Douglas added 19 points and Briann January was a spark off the bench with 16 — all in the second half — for the Fever, who entered the fourth quarter down 58-56.

Indiana came into the playoffs having lost seven of its last 10 games, but the Fever turned up their noted defensive pressure late and improved to 5-0 against the Mystics this season and 17-4 in their last 21 meetings.

Game 2 of the best-of-3 series is Saturday at Indiana.

Trailing by 12 points midway through the fourth quarter, the Mystics rallied behind two 3-pointers from Marissa Coleman and a three-point play by Chasity Melvin to pull within 79-76.

On the Fever’s next possession, Catchings converted a three-point play after being fouled while hitting a running floater. January added four free throws to seal the win.

Crystal Langhorne led Washington with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Coleman finished with 16 points, Lindsey Harding added 11 and Matee Ajavon had 10 for the Mystics, who were making their first playoff appearance since 2006.

The game was played in front of a sparse but energetic crowd at the University of Maryland’s Comcast Center, hours after President Obama spoke about the ongoing health care debate at a campaign-style rally in front of about 15,000 students. The game was moved from the Verizon Center, where the Mystics play their home games, due to a scheduling conflict.

It was a homecoming game for Langhorne, who was named the 2009 WNBA Most Improved Player earlier Thursday, and Coleman, both members of Maryland’s 2005-06 NCAA championship team.

Washington, which sports the youngest roster among the playoff teams, scored the final six points of the first quarter for a 27-23 lead and extended it with a 12-0 run into the second quarter.

Indiana trimmed the deficit back to four by halftime as Douglas and Catchings, Indiana’s leading scorers during the regular season, scored all of the Fever’s points in the second quarter. Catchings scored nine, including the final seven, and Douglas added seven points as the Fever got within 43-39.

Tammy Sutton-Brown added 12 points for the Fever, who are making their fifth consecutive playoff appearance.