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Silver Stars-Shock Preview

Jul 30, 2010 - 4:19 AM By SAMANTHA PANITCH STATS Writer

San Antonio (8-15) at Tulsa (4-20), 8:00 p.m. EDT

The Tulsa Shock haven't won a game since they beat the San Antonio Silver Stars two weeks ago to snap a 12-game losing streak.

Owners of the WNBA's worst record, the Shock hope for a similar result as they host the Silver Stars on Friday while looking to avoid a sixth consecutive loss.

The Shock's lone victory in 18 games was a 75-70 win at San Antonio on July 16. Ivory Latta had 15 points, all on three-pointers, in her third game with Tulsa (4-20).

Tulsa, however, has dropped five straight since, including a 105-89 loss to Atlanta on Tuesday.

In order to help bolster their struggling lineup, the Shock acquired Latta, Nichole Ohlde and Rashanda McCants this month. While Latta and Ohlde are both averaging 11.0 points, the Shock are 1-8 in July. McCants will make her debut with Tulsa in this game.

Latta scored a season-high 23 points Tuesday and Shanna Crossley added 15, but the Shock allowed at least 100 points for the sixth time.

The 90.0 points per game Tulsa is giving up is second-worst in the league.

"I guess it's the same old song, maybe a different tune at times, but the first half was an ugly half," Tulsa coach Nolan Richardson said. "And that's the thing that has worried me in the second half of basketball, is our team not showing up. I thought we played a lot better than we did in the first half, and executed a lot better and made a few shots."

San Antonio's Chamique Holdsclaw scored 20 points and Sophia Young had 11 and 12 rebounds in the loss to Tulsa earlier this month. San Antonio (9-15) still owns a 2-1 edge in the season series.

Recently, the Silver Stars hadn't played well late in their games, but that changed with a 79-75 victory over Washington on Thursday night.

In a fourth quarter that featured five lead changes and three ties, Holdsclaw's layup with 1:35 to play broke a 69-all tie and gave San Antonio the lead for good. Holdsclaw scored 17 points and Becky Hammon added 16 and six steals for the Silver Stars, who had lost six of seven on the road.

"We are a much better team than we were earlier in the year," said Silver Stars coach Sandy Brondello, whose team's last four losses have been by an average of 4.8 points. "I said to the girls at the start, 'I'm tired of losing close games'... we found the right combinations tonight and came away with the hard fought win."