WASHINGTON (AP) — Katie Smith made five 3-pointers for a season-high 21 points, Crystal Langhorne finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds and the Washington Mystics held off the Indiana Fever 68-65 on Tuesday night.
The Mystics (10-5), who have won six of their last seven overall and improved to 7-1 at home, nearly let a nine-point lead with 4:16 left slip away. Katie Douglas' 3-pointer with 55.8 seconds left capped a 10-2 run and pulled the Fever to 66-65. Indiana, however, failed to score on its final three possessions.
Smith made two free throws to put the Mystics up three, but missed a pair with 7.7 seconds left. Indiana's Briann January pulled up to attempt a tying 3-pointer in the closing seconds but Matee Ajavon stripped the ball away and the Mystics beat their Eastern Conference rivals for the second time this season.
Tamika Catchings, who had her streak of 31 consecutive games in double figures end on Sunday, led the Fever (9-6) with 17 points and her free throws with 3:31 remaining started the failed closing run. Douglas scored 13 points.
Washington also had a 35-24 edge in rebounding, including 12 offensive boards.
Indiana won all six meetings between the two squads last season, including two straight to win their first-round playoff matchup. Washington won on the road in the Fever's season opener this year and backed that up with a hard-fought win at home.
Trailing 38-35 with 4:54 remaining in the third quarter, Smith hit back-to-back 3-pointers to pull the Mystics even and they didn't trail again after she added two free throws to put them up 43-41. Tied at 47, Ajavon hit a pair of jumpers and scored the final five points of the quarter for a 50-45 lead.
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