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Perkins' big fourth quarter helps Sky rally past Fever

Jul 22, 2007 - 3:06 AM CHICAGO (Ticker) -- An amazing fourth quarter by Jia Perkins helped the Chicago Sky stop a long losing skid.

Perkins scored 17 points - including 15 in the final period - as the Sky rallied to defeat the Indiana Fever, 68-65, on Saturday.

Dominique Canty scored 12 points and Candice Dupree and Chasity Melvin each scored 11 for Chicago, which snapped a season-high five-game losing streak. Rookie Armintie Price also scored 11 for the Sky, who also snapped a four-game home losing streak.

Chicago trailed 54-48 entering the fourth quarter before closing to 59-56 on a jumper by Dupree with 2:32 remaining. After Sheri Sam made a jump shot with 1:36 left to give Indiana a 63-56 lead, the Sky ripped off a 12-2 run to end the game.

A 3-pointer by Perkins from the right corner cut Chicago's deficit to one (65-64) with 42 seconds left and her free throw with 23 seconds remaining tied the contest.

After Canty made a free throw to give the Sky the lead for the first time since late in the second quarter, Perkins' basket ended the scoring.

Tamika Whitmore scored a season-high 26 points for Indiana, which has lost two straight for the first time this season.

The Fever (16-6) fall one-half game behind of conference-rival Detroit for the best record in the league.

Tammy Sutton Brown and reserve Tan White each scored 10 points for the Fever, who will have to play the next several weeks without MVP candidate Tamika Catchings, who suffered a partial tear of a muscle in her left foot in Friday's 89-80 loss to the Shock.

Catchings, who will miss at least four games, was averaging 16.8 points, 9.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists and a league-leading 3.15 steals.