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Liberty hold off Mystics

Sep 16, 2012 - 11:58 PM Washington, DC (Sports Network) - Cappie Pondexter scored 30 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out five assists, paving the way Sunday for a New York Liberty victory over the Washington Mystics, 75-68, at Verizon Center.

Nicole Powell chipped in 18 points and nine boards, while Essence Carson contributed 15 points, as the Liberty won for the third time in as many games.

The Mystics -- already eliminated from the league's playoff picture -- had four players score in double figures, led by Jasmine Thomas' 16 points. Ashley Robinson added a team-high 10 boards for Washington, which has lost 11 in a row.

The Mystics trailed by as many as nine early in the first, but battled back to take the lead in the second before going into the locker room trailing, 35-33.

In the third, the Mystics managed to go up by seven and carried a 52-47 edge into the fourth quarter.

After a Thomas layup tied the game at 65 with just 2:02 left in the game, the Liberty reeled off six-unanswered points to take a 71-65 lead.

Thomas then hit a 3-pointer with 23.8 seconds left to pull the Mystics back within three, but two free throws and a layup from Carson down the stretch helped the Liberty escape with a victory.