PORTLAND, Ore. — Carla Leite scored 27 points and dished out 11 assists as the Portland Fire broke their five-game losing streak by defeating Toronto 97-83 on Thursday night, handing the Tempo their eighth consecutive loss.
Leite shot 5 of 12 from the field, including two 3-pointers, and made an impressive 15 of 17 free throws for Portland (11-19), who had previously won against the Tempo 99-80 in Toronto on May 23 during their first meeting.
Megan Di Leo contributed with 17 points for the Fire. Bridget Carleton added a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds, while bench player Frieda Buhner also scored 10 points.
For Toronto (10-21), Nyara Sabally led with 17 points as they suffered through their twelfth loss in thirteen games. Julie Allemande added to the scoreline with 11 points and provided 12 assists.
Di Leo put up eight points on an efficient shooting night, going 4-for-5 as Portland took a narrow lead of 25-23 at the end of the first quarter.
Buhner hit a crucial three-pointer that pushed Portland ahead by double digits at 45-35. Leite capped off the half with a jumper just before time expired, extending their lead to 51-37.
By the end of the third quarter, Leite had reached her scoring total of 20 points while helping Portland build an advantage of 81-59.
Aneesah Morrow came off the bench to add another eleven points and managed to narrow Toronto’s deficit to just eight at 91-83 with over three minutes remaining before Portland sealed their victory.
Tempo: At Atlanta Dream on Monday.
Fire: Hosts Seattle Storm on Saturday.
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AP WNBA: https://apnews. com/hub/wnba-basketball
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