Monarchs rout Shock for series lead

The Monarchs lead the best-of-five series 2-1.

Nicole Powell scored 14 points and grabbed six rebounds while Demya Walker and Erin Buescher each netted 11 for the Monarchs, who have won 11 straight playoff games at home.

Deanna Nolan had a game-high 22 points and Cheryl Ford tallied 11 points and eight boards for the Shock, who will fight to stay alive in Game Four on Wednesday in Sacramento.

The Monarchs led 20-18 after the opening quarter and extended their lead to 31-20 with an 11-2 run, capped by Rebekkah Brunson’s layup, to begin the second quarter.

Detroit answered with an 8-2 spurt, highlighted by Katie Smith’s three-point play, to pull within 33-28. However, Sacramento countered with an 11-5 surge, including eight points from Griffith, to end the half with a 44-33 lead.

The Monarchs outscored the Shock 28-17 in the third period, showcased by a 14-3 run to close the quarter, and the rout was on as the Sacramento led 72-50 heading into the final frame. Buescher’s running trey with 31.2 seconds on the clock ended the run.

Any hopes of getting back in the contest were dashed as it took the Shock more than four minutes of the fourth quarter to drain its first field goal. Kristin Haynie’s three gave Sacramento a 25-point lead, 79-54, before Plenette Pierson’s layup ended the Detroit field goal drought. Her bucket began a 13-6 rally, which was capped by Angelina Williams’ layup, narrowing the gap to 85-67. However, that was as close as the Shock would get as they couldn’t overcome the huge deficit in the hostile environment.

Sacramento, which never trailed in the contest, forced 23 turnovers and scored 38 points in the paint while shooting 48.5 percent from the field.

Detroit outrebounded the Monarchs 30-27 but they shot 45.3 percent from the floor, including 0-for-5 from beyond the arc.