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Brunson, Lawson spark early run, hold on to down Liberty

Jun 27, 2007 - 4:10 AM SACRAMENTO, California (Ticker) -- Rebekkah Brunson scored 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds as the Sacramento Monarchs posted a 59-46 victory over the slumping New York Liberty.

Brunson recorded six points and three boards in the opening for the Monarchs, who jumped out to a 15-1 lead in the opening quarter and never looked back, capped off by five consecutive points from Kara Lawson. The Liberty, who has lost three in a row and five of their six contests, did not score their 10th point until the 6:53 mark of the second period.

After Sacramento scored 19 of the 25 total points scored in the first quarter, both teams struggled in the second period, combining for 16 points, leading to a 26-15 halftime score.

New York pulled as close as 42-35 towards the end of the third quarter but Sacramento's Scholanda Robinson scored all nine of her points during a 11-0 Sacramento run over the next five minutes to expand the lead to 53-35 at the 6:21 mark in the final period.

Sacramento, which entered the contest allowing the second-fewest points in the WNBA, held New York, the league's lowest scoring team, to 46 points, a season low for the Liberty and a season-best defensive effort for the Monarchs, who have won three straight and six of their last seven games.