Neeffa Kolier recorded 28 points and eight rebounds and Curtainy Williams threw a basket and two major free, as Minnesota Links on Wednesday kept Dallas Wings away from 85-81 in Minianpolis.
Links (3–0), playing the role of his home opener, remained undefeated with a concrete performance against a Retold Dallas squad, with a new coach and nine new players from the previous season.
Minnesota led seven points in Halftime and more than 10 in the third quarter before taking advantage of 70-62 in the final 10-minute game. Wings rally, drawing 3: 41 on Dijonai Carrington’s 3-pointer drawing at 76-73.
Links responded with a pair of baskets and Williams with a pair of free throw, later with 1:36 to play. Natasha Hydeman added a free throw after four seconds to stoke Minnesota to 81-73, but Dallas was coming, Eric Ogunbole’s 3-pointer had a loss to 83–81 with 39.3 seconds remaining.
The Collier canned a pair of free throw with 17.5 seconds and was able to capture Minnesota.
Alana Smith and Williams finished with each 13 points for links, with Hidman 10 and Jessica Shepard took 10 rebounds from the bench.
Ogunbole painted wings (0–3) with 21 points. Paige Bueckers pair 12 points and 10 aid, but only 3 -11 shooting. Carrington and Myisha Hines-Allen started 11 points.
The wings ruled the first four-plus minutes, with a 15–5 lead after Nalisa Smith’s trimmed, left in the quarter with 6:01. But Minnesota returned, ending a span of 14–3 runs by Williams’ Jumper to take a 19–18 lead after a game with 1:13.
With 3:41 to play in the second period, the 3-pointer by Hidman gained an eight-point lead of links and a minute later Alana Smith’s paste made it 42-32. Ogunbole complicated a running jumper with 47 seconds, which to play 47–40 to play for the benefit of Minnesota.
Minnesota was an aggressive end of the first two quarters, in which Carly Samuelson added nine points and eight points to each other with Kolier, Smith and Hydman. Links reduced Dallas to 42.1 percent in the half before 57.1 percent.
Ogunbole led the wings with 11 points before Haftime.
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