Isabelle Harrison had 25 points and 10 rebounds as the Toronto Tempo snapped a 12-game losing streak with an 82-79 win over the Portland Fire on Friday night at Vancouver.
Kiki Rice contributed 19 points for the short-handed Tempo (11-25), who defeated the Fire (15-21) for the first time in three meetings between the league’s two newest franchises. Laura Juskaite added 15 points.
Bridget Carleton scored 18 points for the Fire, who had won two straight. Megan DiLeo added 14 points, Emily Engstler contributed 13 and Serah Williams 10.
The Tempo led by seven entering the fourth quarter. The lead reached 10 when Ornella Bankole opened the fourth-quarter by hitting a 3-pointer. Rice completed a three-point play to boost Toronto’s lead to 12 with 6:26 to play. Portland responded with a 13-0 run capped by Engstler’s 3-pointer to take a one-point lead with 3:28 left.
Toronto regained a three-point lead on Harrison’s layup and Rice’s layup with 1:06 to play. Toronto’s lead was two after Julie Allemand made one of two free throws with 19 seconds to go. Eight seconds later, Portland’s Carla Leite made one of two free throws. Harrison then connected on two free throws and Engstler missed a 3-point attempt at the buzzer.
Carleton scored 10 points in the first quarter to give Portland a 24-16 lead. Toronto starter Brittney Sykes played only 1:31 of the first quarter before departing with a foot injury.
Toronto’s Aneesah Morrow was helped off the court due to a left knee injury with 8:40 to play in the second quarter. Engstler favored her knee after the collision and left briefly before returning.
The Tempo’s determined defense helped cut the lead to two on Juskaite’s 3-pointer with 3:59 left in the half. Harrison’s layup tied the game at 44 and completed the first-half scoring.
Juskaite’s nine-foot jumper with 7:39 left in the third gave the gritty Tempo their first lead at 48-47.
Toronto’s lead reached five with 3:59 remaining when Harrison made a layup to complete a sequence she started with a steal. The Tempo led 66-59 after three quarters.
The Tempo’s Marina Mabrey (adductor), Maria Conde (calf) and Nyara Sabally (calf) did not play on Friday.
–Field Level Media
