Arike Ogunbowale poured in 28 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter, as the visiting Dallas Wings held off the Indiana Fever 77-76 Sunday afternoon at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Ogunbowale’s 3-pointer with 4:37 to go tied the game at 68-68. She proceeded to hit back-to-back jumpers and three free throws as Dallas took control against an Indiana team that refused to quit.
Natasha Howard scored 16 points and Crystal Dangerfield, playing in her 100th career game, added nine as Dallas (10-9) won its second in a row.
The Fever (5-14) saw their losing streak hit seven games, ending the day still searching for their first win since June 22 despite 18 points from Aliyah Boston. NaLyssa Smith scored 17 and Kelsey Mitchell finished with 12.
Lexie Hull had a chance to win it for the Fever at the end but her 3-pointer was off the mark.
Ogunbowale scored her 10 straight points during a critical stretch in the fourth as the Wings found a way to shake off the Fever, who had rallied from a 13-point first-half deficit to make it a game.
Tied at 38-38 at the half, both teams searched for momentum in the third. Indiana seemed to get it when Mitchell finished a fastbreak opportunity with a layup to give the Fever a 44-43 lead with 8:43 left.
Mitchell drilled a 3-pointer with 3:02 remaining, giving Indiana a 57-51 lead in a third quarter that featured five lead changes. Mitchell scored 10 in the third.
Dallas scored eight straight points to close the quarter, with two coming off a layup by Howard that tied the game at 59-59 going into the fourth.
The Wings led 27-17 after one and stretched the lead to 32-19 after Ogunbowale was fouled on a made jumper and hit the ensuing free throw with 6:17 left.
Indiana roared back on the strength of a 12-0 run that included the first Fever 3-pointer of the day as Grace Berger hit one to cut the Dallas lead to 32-25. Indiana had missed its first six from distance.
Boston then scored six straight points, her two free throws pulling the Fever within one at 32-31 with 3:06 left in the half.
–Field Level Media