• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Langhorne, Harding lead Mystics past Sky 75-64

Jul 24, 2009 - 2:03 AM WASHINGTON(AP) -- Crystal Langhorne had 16 points and 10 rebounds, Lindsey Harding scored 15 points, including nine in the fourth quarter, and the Washington Mystics earned a 75-64 win over the Chicago Sky on Thursday night.

Matee Ajavon added 14 points as the Mystics (8-7) closed the first half of the season winning two of three and are in third place in the Eastern Conference. Washington is two victories away from matching its win total from last season.

"We just really needed this win," said Langhorne, who scored 10 points in the first half. "They are right next to us in the standings and to get this win at home is really big for us."

Jia Perkins scored 14 points and Candice Dupree added 10 points to lead the Sky (8-10). Chicago used an 8-0 run midway through the fourth quarter to get within 57-48, but Ajavon scored the next eight points, including back-to-back 3-pointers, to give the Mystics their largest lead at 65-48.

"We didn't take care of the ball early, dug ourselves an early hole," said Sky coach Steve Key, whose team fell into a fourth-place tie in the Eastern Conference after losses on back-to-back days. "After that you start to play them even, but you are still down the points. You run out of energy, run out of gas and the next thing you know you have a couple of opportunities, but you just can't turn the corner and time runs out."

Langhorne, who entered the game second in the league in field-goal percentage, hit 8 of 10 from the field. Harding and Ajavon, both in their first year with the Mystics, combined to hit 13 of 18 field-goal attempts.

Washington closed the first quarter with seven straight points over the final 1:10 for a 19-12 lead and then added the first four points of the second quarter. They also outscored the Sky 19-12 in the second quarter.

"That's just really exciting for our team," said the second-year player Langhorne about the Mystics' early season turnaround. "(Management) made a lot of changes, improved the team a lot and now it's showing."

The game was the final one for both teams before Saturday's All-Star game.