Friday, March 20, 2005
LOVELAND, Colo. – The Colorado Chill won their 23rd straight game at the Budweiser Events Center as they squeaked out a one-point win over the Dallas Fury, 74-73 on Friday night.

The win gave Colorado the win it needed as they have now clinched either the first or second seed in the 2005 NWBL Playoffs. Colorado will host a semifinal game on Wednesday night, March 30 at 7:05 p.m. at the Budweiser Events Center.

Dallas’ Anna DeForge and Colorado’s Becky Hammon turned what was already a thrilling game into a battle as the two WNBA superstars combined to score 58 points in the game.

DeForge had the hot hand in the first half as she scored 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field, including 2-of-4 from behind the 3-point line. DeForge cooled a little in the second half by scoring just 11 points to finish the game with 27.

For Hammon, the story was the exact opposite, as she started cold in the first half by scoring just seven points. Hammon turned it on in the second half when Colorado needed it the most. She was 7-of-11 from the field in the second half, good for 24 points. She finished the night with 31 points on 10-of-17 shooting.

The game was a back and forth for all of the second half, as Dallas even managed to take a five-point lead. Hammon took the big shot for Colorado with just 8.8 seconds remaining on the clock to give Colorado a 74-73 lead.

Dallas had two opportunities to win the game in the waning seconds, but DeForge’s three caromed off the back of the iron and was rebounded by Candace Baldwin. Baldwin caught the ball standing on the end sideline and the ball was returned to Dallas. Felicia Ragland had one last look for the Fury but her 12-foot jumper fell a little short and the Chill preserved the victory.

Colorado improves to 15-6 on the season, while the loss drops Dallas to 13-8 and two full games behind the Chill.

The Chill had four players score in double-figures on the night led by Hammon’s 31. Ruth Riley, who returned from a back injury, scored 14 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, Carrie Bacon scored 10 points and Katie Cronin scored 13 for Colorado.

Ragland and LaToya Turner were the only other players to reach double-digits for Dallas as each scored 11 points, respectively.

Colorado will conclude the regular season on Sunday afternoon when the Birmingham Power visits the Budweiser Events Center at 4:05 p.m. With a win over the Power, Colorado in all likelihood would clinch home court advantage throughout the NWBL postseason.

Group tickets for the final home game can be purchased from the Budweiser Events Center by calling Tracie Fehringer at 970-619-4122. Group prices start at just $5 per ticket and range up to $11 per ticket for groups of 10 or more. Individual game tickets can be purchased online at www.comcasttix.com, by phone at 877-544-8499 or at the Budweiser Events Center Box Office.

The NWBL is a six-team league that features more than 25 active WNBA players. Other teams in the league include the Birmingham Power (Birmingham, Ala.); Dallas Fury (Dallas, Texas); Chicago Blaze (Naperville, Ill.); San Jose Spiders (San Jose, Calif.) and Lubbock Hawks (Lubbock, Texas). For more information on the NWBL, visit the league website at www.triplecrownsports.com.

Colorado Chill Women’s Basketball – (970) 223-6644
Aaron M. Moore, General Manager