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Dream-Sun Preview

Jul 29, 2010 - 5:17 PM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

Atlanta (16-9) at Connecticut (13-10), 7:30 p.m. EDT

With more than three weeks left in the season, the top seed in the Western Conference has already been clinched. It could take a while for that to happen in the East.

The Atlanta Dream try to keep pressure on the East leaders when they face a Connecticut Sun team also looking to improve its standing Friday night.

While Seattle has secured the No. 1 seed in its conference thanks to the best record in the league, the East title is up for grabs. The six teams are separated by five games, with defending conference champion Indiana holding a one-game lead over Atlanta (16-9).

Looking to keep pace with the Fever, who have won a season-best five in a row, the Dream go for their third consecutive victory Friday following a season-high four-game losing streak.

Iziane Castro Marques scored 23 points and Sancho Lyttle added 20 with 14 rebounds as Atlanta snapped a five-game road skid by beating Tulsa 105-89 on Tuesday.

"From the beginning, we got out to a good start, maintained the lead from there, and that's what we did," Marques said.

The Dream got off to a good start in their last visit to Mohegan Sun Arena on July 17, leading by 10 in the opening minute of the second quarter, but Connecticut pulled away with a 34-17 second-half run to win 96-80.

The home team has won all three meetings in the season series, and the Sun (13-10) hope that trend continues as they close out a five-game homestand.

Asjha Jones scored 10 of her season-best 23 points in the fourth quarter and rookie Tina Charles had 15 points with nine rebounds as Connecticut defeated Washington 88-78 on Tuesday. Jones scored four consecutive points in the fourth quarter after the Sun had a 16-point third-quarter lead trimmed to two, helping them avoid a third straight loss.

"That's the kind of game that's going to happen a lot in the next few weeks," said coach Mike Thibault, whose team trails Atlanta by two games and is two ahead of Chicago for last place in the East. "It's that close in our conference."

This matchup has not been that close, with two of the three meetings this year decided by at least 15 points. The Dream set a franchise record for points in a 108-103 overtime victory over the Sun on July 7.

Angel McCoughtry, the top pick in last year's draft, scored a season high-tying 32 points in that game and is averaging 30.3 points and 8.3 rebounds versus Connecticut this season.

Charles, the No. 1 overall pick this year, has averaged 23.7 points and 15.0 boards in the season series. She leads the league in rebounding at 11.8 per game and double-doubles with 15.

Lyttle has averaged 19.5 points and 13.5 rebounds in two games against the Sun in 2010.