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Pondexter leads Mercury over Sun 95-80

Jul 29, 2009 - 2:28 AM By PAT EATON-ROBB Associated Press Writer

UNCASVILLE, Conn.(AP) -- Cappie Pondexter scored a season-high 29 points and the Phoenix Mercury continued to dominate the Eastern Conference, beating Connecticut 95-80 on Tuesday night.

The Mercury have won eight of nine and are 6-0 against the East this season.

Pondexter made her first six shots, and finished 12-of-18 from the field, after a 3-for-16 effort at New York on Sunday. Her first miss came just before the halftime buzzer with the Mercury ahead 45-30.

"I didn't have the best offensive outing the last game, so I just wanted to come out focused and give my team some energy today," said Pondexter. "We're very focused on this road trip. We want to start the second half off right, and these games are very important."

Diana Taurasi, in her second game back from a two-game suspension after a drunken-driving arrest, added 17 points for Phoenix (14-5), and rookie DeWanna Bonner added 14 points.

Taurasi was one of three former UConn players in the game, which was played less than an hour from the Storrs campus.

Anete Jekabsone-Zogota had 15 points, and former Husky Asjha Jones added 14 for Connecticut (9-7), which lost for the first time in five games.

The Mercury came in leading the league in scoring at 93 points per game, while the Sun had been holding opponents to a league-low 70 points.

Connecticut took 19 more shots than the Mercury, but shot just 35 percent from the field.

"It was kind of role reversal," said Taurasi. "Defensively, I thought we did a real good job."

Phoenix got off to a quick start, scoring the first 10 points of the game. The Mercury led by 15 points at intermission, by 20 points just two minutes into the second half, and by 25 after three periods.

"We missed 11 lay-ups in the first quarter, so if it was there defense or it wasn't, it doesn't really matter," said Jones. "Professionals are supposed to make those easy shots, and we didn't, and they came out hot."