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  Monday, Jun. 5 8:00pm ET
Sales leads Orlando to third straight win
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Orlando Miracle coach Carolyn Peck wants her team to be a topic of conversation.

She sparked the talk Monday night after Orlando won its third consecutive game, 75-68 over the Sacramento Monarchs.

Adrienne Johnson
Orlando's Adrienne Johnson can't be stopped in her drive to the hoop past Ruthie Bolton-Holifield (6) and Stacy Clinesmith.

"No one wants to talk about the Orlando Miracle," Peck said. "Everybody wants to talk about the Western Conference and wants to talk about (Washington's) Chamique Holdsclaw. Well, this team is making a little noise of its own."

Nykesha Sales led the way again with 22 points, but she had help from Shannon Johnson with 20 points and Adrienne Johnson with 12. Cintia Dos Santos scored 11 points and Taj McWilliams had 12 rebounds. Orlando (3-1) never trailed.

"We just wanted to play our game," McWilliams said.

"ESPN was here and nobody really wanted to talk about the Orlando Miracle, so we got really fired up about that. We wanted to play well and show everybody that when you come to Orlando, it's a tough team you've got to play."

Sacramento's Stacy Clinesmith hit a 3-pointer with 5:54 remaining in the game that cut Orlando's lead to 61-60. But Shannon Johnson made six of Orlando's final nine points and the Miracle finished the game on a 6-2 run.

Sacramento (1-2) shot 41.8 percent from the field, but was only 5-of-17 on 3-pointers. Kedra Holland-Corn led the Monarchs with 21 points, and Tangela Smith added 16 points and 12 rebounds.

"We are still struggling to be consistent and for all of us to be on the same page offensively," Sacramento coach Sonny Allen said. "I have never seen us fumble the ball so many times. We were never able to get a loose ball, a rebound that we could control. But yet we hustled enough to put ourselves in a position to win."

Shannon Johnson made one of two free throws to put Orlando ahead 71-66 with 47.9 seconds remaining. Sacramento's Ruthie Bolton-Holifield then missed a 3-pointer, but Yolanda Griffith scored on the Monarchs' next possession to cut Orlando's lead to 71-68 with 30.4 left. Adrienne Johnson was fouled on Orlando's next possession and made both free throws and Shannon Johnson scored the game's final basket on a breakaway layup.

Sales had 11 first-half points to lead all scorers as Orlando led at halftime, 36-30. Sacramento was led by Smith's eight points.
 


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RECAPS
Cleveland 69
Charlotte 53

Indiana 80
Miami 59

Minnesota 88
Detroit 68

Orlando 75
Sacramento 68

AUDIO/VIDEO
video
 Taj McWilliams passes downcourt to Shannon Johnson for the layup.
avi: 701 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1

 Ticha Penicheiro drives the lane for the hoop and the foul.
avi: 621 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1

 Janon Roland knocks down the open 3-pointer.
avi: 584 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1

audio
 Nykesha Sales says the Orlando Miracle are a good team.
wav: 117 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6

 Carolyn Peck says the Miracle's win on Monday was a total team effort.
wav: 117 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6