Balanced scoring, late free throw help Fire beat Wings, snap skid

Bridget Carleton scored 20 points to lead five starters in double figures, Emily Engstler made a tie-breaking free throw with 1.7 seconds left and the host Portland Fire defeated the Dallas Wings 84-83 on Saturday night.

Megan Gustafson scored 16, Engstler added 11, Carla Leite had 10 points and eight assists and Sarah Ashlee Barker scored 10 for the Fire (7-8, 1-4 Commissioner's Cup), who ended a four-game losing streak.

Arike Ogunbowale scored 22 points, Azzi Fudd had 18, Aziaha James scored 17 and Jessica Shepard added 13 points and 14 rebounds for the the Wings (8-5, 3-2), who had won five of their last six but played without leading scorer Paige Bueckers (right ankle).

Luisa Geiselsoder scored four straight points to give the Fire a 57-52 lead late in the third quarter. James made two baskets to help Dallas pull even at 57. Her jumper produced a one-point lead before Carleton beat the buzzer with a 3-pointer that sent Portland into the fourth quarter with a 63-61 lead.

Engstler made a layup to start the fourth-quarter scoring, but Ogunbowale scored five points and Shepard made a layup to help the Wings pull even at 68. The score was tied again at 71, 73 and 76.

Ogunbowale and Fudd made consecutive baskets to give Dallas an 80-76 lead, but Carleton trimmed the lead to one with a 3-pointer. Gustafson's layup put Portland ahead 81-80 with 22.5 seconds left.

Fudd converted a three-point play, but Leite's layup tied the score at 83 with 11.6 seconds left. James missed a jumper and Engstler made one of two free throws before Ogunbowale missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Fudd scored five straight points to give the Wings their first lead at 8-6. The score was tied at nine and the lead changed hands four times in the first quarter, the last of which left the Fire with a 14-13 lead after 10 minutes.

Ogunbowale's 3-pointer gave Dallas a two-point lead before Carleton had 3-pointers to start and end a 10-0 run that gave Portland a 26-18 lead. Ogunbowale made two free throws and Shepard added a layup to get the Wings within four.

Leite answered with a 3-pointer and the lead grew to 10 before Dallas scored five straight points. After Leite and Fudd exchanged 3-pointers, Gustafson made a layup to push the Fire's lead to 44-37 at halftime.

--Field Level Media