Lobo’s Winning Streak Ends at 102

Rebecca Lobo’s personal winning streak ended at 102 games as the Phoenix Mercury defeated the New York Liberty, 69-50, in a Women’s NBA game Monday night at Phoenix.

Lobo, who last played on a losing team when North Carolina upset Connecticut in an NCAA regional final March 26, 1994, led the Huskies to a 35-0 mark in 1994-95, was 52-0 with the U.S. national team, went 8-0 in the Olympics and helped the Liberty open the season 7-0.

Bridget Pettis scored 20 of her 25 points in the second half for the Mercury (4-2) before an announced crowd of 13,731 at America West Arena.

Jennifer Gillom had 14 points and 13 rebounds and Toni Foster had nine points and 12 rebounds for Phoenix, which outrebounded New York, 47-34. Michele Timms had 11 points and nine assists.

Vickie Johnson led the Liberty with 11 points. Lobo scored eight.

The Mercury led at halftime, 24-23.

Houston 74, Charlotte 56--Former USC stars Cynthia Cooper and Tina Thompson led the Comets before an announced crowd of 5,933 at Houston.

Cooper, who ended her college career in 1986, scored 21 points; Thompson, who just concluded her college career, had 15 points and nine rebounds.

Cooper was six for 13 from the field and made all seven of her free throws. She scored five consecutive points as the Comets (5-3) used a 13-5 run to take a 28-14 lead.

Brazilian Janeth Arcain added 13 points for Houston.

Andrea Stinson led Charlotte with 13 points and Sharon Manning and Andrea Congreaves each scored nine as the Sting (2-4) dropped to 0-4 on the road.

Charlotte was 21 for 57 from the field, including two for 12 from three-point range. Houston was 26 for 53, going seven for 17 on three-point shots.

Sacramento 79, Utah 69--Ruthie Bolton-Holifield, the WNBA’s leading scorer, had 22 points as the Monarchs beat the Starzz at Salt Lake City.

Pam McGee, another former Trojan (‘84), added 12 points for the Monarchs (4-3).

Wendy Palmer had 20 points and Tammi Reiss 11 for Utah (2-6), which has lost three in a row.

Utah used a 6-0 run to tie it at 48-48 with 13:27 remaining, but Bolton-Holifield, a 1989 Auburn graduate, scored six of Sacramento’s next eight points to key a 14-2 run.