NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Erlana Larkins scored a season-high 15 points and the Indiana Fever used a big third quarter to rout the New York Liberty 74-53 on Saturday night.
Indiana (5-8) led by three at the half before blowing the game open in the third, outscoring New York 31-6. After the Liberty scored the first basket of the second half, Indiana had 11 straight points, including five by Larkins.
Kara Braxton scored with 5:10 left in third to make it 48-38, but that was the Liberty’s last basket of the period.
The Fever then got hot from behind the arc. They hit five 3-pointers, including a four-point play by Erin Phillips that made it 63-40. Indiana has won four of its last five to climb within a half-game of the Liberty (6-8) for fourth place in the East.
Plenette Pierson scored 12 points to lead the Liberty, who couldn’t get within 20 in the fourth quarter.
