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Schimmel, Catchings lead WNBA East All-Stars to win

Jul 19, 2014 - 11:46 PM Phoenix, AZ (SportsNetwork.com) - Tamika Catchings scored the deciding layup with 6.9 seconds left in overtime to give the Eastern Conference a thrilling 125-124 victory over the West in the 2014 WNBA All-Star Game.

Catchings' basket capped an 8-0 game-ending run by the East. The Indiana Fever veteran then sealed the outcome by stripping Skylar Diggins underneath the basket on the final possession.

Atlanta Dream rookie Shoni Schimmel played a huge part in the East's win as well, pouring in an All-Star Game record 29 points and dishing out eight assists to earn MVP honors.

"It was awesome, just to be able to go out there and play my game, have fun," Schimmel said.

Diggins, the second-year guard of the Tulsa Shock, had a remarkable performance as well in defeat, netting 27 points while leading a 13-2 spurt over the final three minutes of regulation that forced the first overtime in WNBA All-Star Game history.

Schimmel, whose seven made 3-pointers also set a new All-Star Game best, keyed a 14-0 stretch in the fourth quarter that seemingly put the East up comfortably. The sharpshooter had seven points during the surge, which she capped with a short runner for a 110-99 lead with three minutes remaining.

The West came roaring back, however, behind Diggins and Minnesota's Maya Moore, with the duo accounting for all 13 points of the West's late rally.

Diggins drove the lane and scored with 57 seconds to go to cut the deficit to 112-110, then came up with a steal on the East's subsequent trip before recording the tying layup off a Sue Bird feed with 26.3 seconds on the clock.

The West maintained the momentum during the early stages in overtime, opening the frame on a 9-2 run that Diggins finished with a three for a 121-114 advantage.

It remained a seven-point differential with two minutes left in extra time, but consecutive treys by Katie Douglas and Schimmel pulled the East within 124-123 with 41.9 seconds showing.

Nneka Ogwumike then missed a tip-in of a Moore miss, with Catchings pulling down the rebound and going coast-to-coast for the game-tying score before stealing the ball away from Diggins on the West's last gasp.

"I thought we did a great job of making that comeback and tying it up, making it go into overtime and that was a show," said Diggins afterward. "That was a show for the fans, they got extra. Everybody got their money's worth tonight and it was fun to be a part of that present."

Catchings finished with 14 points and Tina Charles had 19 for the East, who lost last year's edition by a 102-98 margin. Douglas contributed 15 points while hitting 5-of-8 shots from 3-point range.

Moore amassed 24 points and eight assists in the loss, with Brittney Griner of the hometown Phoenix Mercury scoring 17 points on 8-of-13 shooting for the West.

Los Angeles Sparks forward Candace Parker had set the previous WNBA All-Star Game scoring record of 23 points in the West's win last year.