Catchings scores 27, grabs 13 boards as Fever top Mercury

Indiana got its first win under head coach Stephanie White.

June 13, 2015 at 5:29AM
Tamika Catchings.
Tamika Catchings. (Brian Stensaas — DML - Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Tamika Catchings scored 27 points, including two free throws with 7 seconds left, to help the Indiana Fever beat the Phoenix Mercury 77-74 on Friday night.

Catchings had 13 rebounds while Marissa Coleman added 11 points for Fever (1-3), who got their first win under head coach Stephanie White.

Catchings made a layup with 1:23 to play and, after grabbing a rebound on the other end, found Natalie Achonwa for a layup to make it 73-69 with 58 seconds left.

Leilani Mitchell hit a 3-pointer to pull Phoenix (2-1) within one with 8 seconds left.

Catchings' free throws made it 77-74 a second later and Mitchell was off the mark on a deep 3 as time expired that could have tied the game.

Mitchell scored a career-high 25 points and was 7 of 10 from 3-point range for the Mercury, while DeWanna Bonner, who came into the game averaging 21.5 points, had 12 on 4-of-19 shooting.

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