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Marques leads Dream into first place

Aug 1, 2010 - 10:41 PM ATLANTA (AP) -- A four-game losing streak knocked Atlanta out of first place. Now a four-game winning streak has the Dream back on top.

Iziane Castro Marques had 22 points, Angel McCoughtry scored 20 and the Dream regained first place in the Eastern Conference with a 90-74 victory over the Indiana Fever on Sunday.

Erika DeSouza scored 16 points, and Sancho Lyttle had 13 points and eight rebounds for the Dream (18-9), who improved to 10-2 at home. Atlanta shot 51 percent from the field, scored 46 points in the paint and 22 points off Indiana's 21 turnovers.

"It was a great win for us," Atlanta coach Marynell Meadors said. "We played good defense and were able to get out and run. That's our game."

Tamika Catchings scored 24 points for Indiana (16-9), which lost consecutive games for the first time since starting the season 0-2. The Fever were limited to 35-percent shooting from the field.

"It didn't seem like we had nearly enough respect for their length, quickness and speed," Fever coach Lin Dunn said. "Sometimes it looked like we were passing to them."

Atlanta and Indiana have split four games so far, with the home team winning each time, and play for the final time in the regular season at Indianapolis on Friday.

"We have to regroup," Catchings said. "Home court is important and we want to to have it for the playoffs."

The Dream's four-game losing streak all came on the road, including an 89-70 loss at Indiana on July 16.

"We got in the passing lanes and were very aggressive," Meadors said of the turnaround this time.

Erika DeSouza scored 16 points and Sancho Lyttle had 13 points, eight rebounds and four steals as Atlanta's inside players took charge.

"I thought their bigs really hurt us," Dunn said.

Atlanta took control with a 13-2 run to end the first quarter and led 29-15 after DeSouza made two baskets to start the second quarter.

It was 45-35 at halftime and the Dream led by 20 points late in the third quarter. McCoughtry had 16 points in the second half.

"For us to keep up with them, we had to keep up the defensive intensity," Lyttle said.

Castro Marques had 10 points in the third quarter, including consecutive 3-pointers, despite playing with a mask to protect a broken nose.

"It's the third game, so I'm starting to get used to it," she said.

Catchings had 15 points for Indiana in the first half. She was 5 of 9 from the floor, including making both of her 3-points attempts, and was 8 of 15 for the game. But no other Indiana player scored more than nine points.

Reserve center Jessica Davenport had eight first-half rebounds for the Fever and finished with 12 boards.

"(Atlanta) is a very, very good team and they're playing at a very high level," Dunn said. "I think they're playing with a lot of confidence."