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Mystics-Fever Preview

Sep 18, 2009 - 8:28 PM By MATT BECKER STATS Senior Writer

Washington (16-18) at Indiana (22-12), 7:00 p.m. EDT

The young Washington Mystics had the Eastern Conference's top-seeded team on the ropes in the opener of their first-round series, but the Indiana Fever again proved too strong down the stretch.

The Fever look to come out with the same intensity they displayed in the final quarter of Game 1 as they go for a sweep of the Mystics on Saturday night, with the series shifting to Conseco Fieldhouse.

For much of Thursday's opener, Indiana played like the team that stumbled to the end of the season with seven losses in its final 10 games. In the last 10 minutes, the Fever resembled the club that entered the playoffs with the best record in the East.

Trailing 58-56 after three quarters, Indiana opened the final period with a 17-3 run and went on to an 88-79 victory. The Fever picked up their play on both ends of the court when it counted, going 7 of 9 from the floor to begin the fourth while limiting the Mystics to one basket on their first six shots.

"We have 10 more minutes, it's all or nothing," Tamika Catchings said in recapping the talk before the final period. "Everybody came out and right off the bat we got like four layups in a row. Our tempo went up and we have to keep feeding off of that."

The Fever, in the postseason for the fifth straight year, last advanced to the conference finals in 2007.

Catchings had game highs of 26 points and 12 rebounds while Katie Douglas added 19 points for Indiana, which continued its dominance of Washington. The Fever are 5-0 against the Mystics this season and have won 17 of the last 21 meetings.

For Washington, the youngest team in the playoff field, the second-half collapse echoed an all-too familiar theme this season. The problem has been particularly acute against the Fever, who have outscored the Mystics 134-91 in the final quarter this season.

"This isn't the only game we have done this," said guard Lindsey Harding, who scored 11 points. "We have to be physically and mentally strong to fight in the fourth quarter because it's almost as if (Indiana is) playing hard, but then they turn it on another level."

Crystal Langhorne, the WNBA's Most Improved Player in 2009, led Washington with 18 points and 10 rebounds. For the Mystics to avoid another playoff letdown, though, they will need Alana Beard to step up her play.

Beard missed four of the final six regular season games with a sprained ankle and was limited to nine points on 4-of-12 shooting in Game 1. She topped the Mystics with 15.9 points per game this year.

"We are not going down easy," Beard said. "It's all about pride right now. No way, no how you are going to let a team beat you six times in a row."

Washington, which last made the postseason in 2006, has not won a playoff game since 2004 and hasn't won a series since 2002.