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Sky-Liberty Preview

Aug 29, 2009 - 6:43 PM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

Chicago (14-15) at New York (11-17), 4:00 p.m. EDT

The Chicago Sky took a step toward their first-ever playoff berth with Friday night's home win against the New York Liberty.

The Sky will try to make another stride by completing the home-and-home sweep while setting a franchise record for wins Sunday at Madison Square Garden.

Chicago (14-15) snapped a three-game slide with Friday's 96-77 victory as Candice Dupree scored 26 points and Kristi Toliver added 25 off the bench.

Toliver's performance was pivotal as the Sky pulled away in the second half and won for the first time this season without All-Star Sylvia Fowles on the court.

"We all know Kristi is a shooter," Sky coach Steven Key said. "She was key for us tonight."

Fowles, a 6-foot-6 center, has missed Chicago's last four games due to a sprained left ankle, and the Sky also lost five times when a sore right knee kept her out of the lineup in July.

In her team's previous trip to New York on Aug. 14, Fowles had a team-high 22 points, nine rebounds and two blocks in an 88-77 victory. She leads the Sky with 8.6 rebounds per game and has averaged 12.0 points.

With Fowles' status unknown, Chicago will try to maintain its position in a tight race for the Eastern Conference's final three playoff berths. The Sky play three of their final four games against a pair of challengers for those spots, Washington and Detroit.

A victory would also give the fourth-year franchise its first 15-win season. Chicago was 14-20 in 2007.

A sprained left ankle could also keep New York's starting center, Janel McCarville, out for a second straight game. She leads the team with 5.6 rebounds per game and is second with 12.9 points.

New York (11-17) topped Minnesota 80-67 in its previous home game on Aug. 23 with McCarville sitting out the second half, and has recorded back-to-back wins at MSG since losing to Chicago.

Tiffany Jackson started in McCarville's place Friday and led the Liberty with a season-high 16 points.

"They had too many second-chance points and we had eight straight turnovers at one point," guard Loree Moore said. "We have to learn from our mistakes and make sure we don't do this again at home."

The Sky held New York's leading scorer, Shameka Christon (17.1 ppg), to 10 points on 3 of 11 shooting. She averaged 23.5 points in her previous two games, and scored 25 in the previous home matchup with Chicago.

Dupree, who leads the Sky with 15.6 points per game, has averaged 19.7 in the last three games and 23.0 in the past two meetings with the Liberty.

Chicago is 2-4 all-time in New York, winning two of its last three there.