Posted at 6:13 p.m., Thursday, September 13, 2007
WNBA: Mercury beats Shock, forcing 5th game in finals
By Andrew Bagnato
Associated Press
Pondexter scored a game-high 26 points, including a driving bank shot with 21 seconds to play, and the Phoenix Mercury defeated the Detroit Shock 77-76 today to force a deciding fifth game in the WNBA finals.
The finale is Sunday afternoon in Detroit.
Plenette Pierson scored 23 points in a reserve role for Detroit.
Diana Taurasi added 20 points for the Mercury, who have not lost consecutive games since the two games before the All-Star break.
Detroit led 74-73 when Pierson turned the ball over with 51 seconds to go.
On the next possession, Pondexter hit a 5-footer from the left baseline to put the Mercury up 75-74.
After Detroit's Deanna Nolan answered with a 16-footer, Pondexter barreled into the lane and scored to give Phoenix a 77-76 lead.
Detroit's Shannon Johnson missed a 12-footer at the buzzer to spark a wild celebration by the Mercury.
