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Shock-Sky Preview

Jun 5, 2010 - 4:10 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Tulsa (2-3) at Chicago (2-4), 8:00 p.m. EDT

After a rough start, the Chicago Sky appear to have found their rhythm.

The Sky look for a fourth straight victory while trying to snap a four-game losing streak against the visiting Tulsa Shock on Saturday night.

Coming off a 2009 season in which it won a franchise-record 16 games, Chicago (3-4) opened with four straight losses. However, things have turned around as the Sky have won three in a row after beating Atlanta 80-70 on the road Friday.

Sylvia Fowles had 19 points with nine rebounds while Shameka Christon added 13 points and eight assists as Chicago scored at least 80 points for fourth time.

"We're just coming together and getting confident," guard Jia Perkins told the Sky's official website.

Christon and Cathrine Kraayeveld each made three 3-pointers for Chicago, which went 7 for 15 from beyond the arc Friday after going 6 of 21 from 3-point range in a 73-58 win over Minnesota last Saturday.

The Sky used a 16-4 run to build a 56-41 lead midway in the third quarter, then held off a late Atlanta push.

"We just had to stay focused and keep our confidence," said Fowles, who's averaging 18.1 points and 7.8 rebounds. "We're not making as many mistakes."

The 6-foot-6 Fowles has averaged 20.5 points and 10.0 rebounds in two home games this season, but she was limited to 6.3 points and 8.3 boards per game in three contests against the Shock last season.

After going 2-1 against the Shock in 2008, Chicago lost all four meetings in 2009 - the Shock franchise's last season in Detroit.

Tulsa (3-3) tries for a third straight victory after beating Minnesota 92-79 on Friday.

Scholanda Robinson scored 20 points and Plennette Pierson added 18 off the bench as the Shock shot 32 of 64 from the field - for the second straight game - and had five players score in double figures.

It was a season-high for Robinson, who entered the contest averaging 8.8 points.

"I was trying to be aggressive with something that suits me well," she said. "It was something I've been trying to do all season. It was just a matter of putting it all together in one game and I finally did."

The Shock will again be without starting guard Alexis Hornbuckle (5.4 points per game, 3.2 assists per game), who is serving the last of a two-game suspension due to a driving while impaired incident last year in Detroit.