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McCarville scores 19 in Liberty's win over Mystics

Aug 16, 2009 - 11:45 PM WASHINGTON(AP) -- Janel McCarville's so-called "ugly" winning shot produced a picture-perfect victory for the New York Liberty.

McCarville scored 19 points, including the deciding three point play with 9.1 seconds remaining, in the Liberty's 60-59 win over the Washington Mystics on Sunday.

Shameka Christon added 14 points for the Liberty (9-15), the last-place team in the Eastern Conference. They held the Mystics to their season-low point total on the season.

"We threw punches back and forth all game," said McCarville, who scored the Liberty's final seven points. "First quarter was relatively even. We took the second, they took the third. We held their runs. I really felt in the last couple of minutes that we were going to be able to pull it off, and we did ... in dramatic fashion I might add."

Alana Beard scored 11 of her 18 points in the fourth quarter, including a layup with 23.3 seconds left to put the Mystics (12-12) ahead 59-57.

On the next possession, the Liberty worked the ball around to McCarville, who tossed in a one-handed, off-balance floater from the lane that bounced around the rim several times before falling in.

"I tried to attack her, get her off her feet or stumble a little bit," said McCarville, who also had three steals and made all seven free throw attempts. "I was able to draw the contact and hit the ugly shot."

McCarville was fouled by Crystal Langhorne on the play and then used a shooter's touch on the free throw to give the Liberty a 60-59 lead.

"Coach Donovan had drawn up a play for Janel," Christon said of interim head coach Anne Donovan's final possession instructions. "It was kind of funny because (Donovan) was like, 'Janel, make it happen. (Janel) was clutch and she finished for us and we got the victory.

Beard dribbled down the right side and sent a pass to open Lindsey Harding on the left wing, but the Mystics point guard shot an airball on a long jumper as the horn sounded.

Washington, which had won its two previous meetings against New York this season, struggled to score from anywhere on the court. The Mystics made only half of their 18 free throw attempts, with three misses coming in the final quarter. They connected on only two of 11 3-point shots against New York's zone defense.

"We were totally off," Beard said. "Our shots were short. I thought New York did a great job packing the paint and forcing us to take those outside shots."

Monique Currie scored 12 points and Harding added 10 for the Mystics, who fell into fifth place in the tightly contested East. They were in a three-way tie for second place following Friday's double-overtime win against Connecticut.

"We can't come off of a great game and then come into this game and sort of have a lack of focus," Beard said. "I continue to say we have to grow, we have to grow, but at this point, it's too late in the season to continue to say that. We all have to come in with a more focused attitude."

Currie scored the Mystics' first eight points, but the team scored only six in the second quarter - its lowest total in a full period this season. McCarville and Christon combined for 22 points, and the Liberty led 31-23 at halftime.