Angel McCoughtry posts triple-double as Dream outlast Wings in overtime

Angel McCoughtry posted the sixth regular season triple-double in WNBA history and the Atlanta Dream held off a furious comeback attempt by the Dallas Wings for a 95-90 win in overtime.

The Dream came out firing on all cylinders and quickly jumped to a 29-19 advantage at the end of the first quarter. Atlanta led by as many as 17 points in the first half led by Tiffany Hayes who scored 21 of her 27 points over the first two periods. Hayes didn’t miss a shot in the opening two quarters going 8-for-8 while knocking down three three-pointers.

The Dream pushed the lead to 18 with 6:05 remaining in the third quarter but would watch Dallas close the period with a 17-2 run to cut the deficit to just 62-59 heading to the fourth.

The lead would change hands several times in the fourth quarter before Layshia Clarendon would force overtime with a pair of free throws with just 3.2 seconds remaiing. Atlanta outscored the Wings 16-11 in the overtime period with McCoughtry scoring 7 of her 27 in the extra session.

"I tip my hat to that Dallas team," Dream head coach Michael Cooper said following the game. "They are a very tough team and if they hadn’t had two players go down it might have ended a bit different. I like our work ethic, I like our steadiness, and I felt like we held our composure when things got a little rocky there in the third quarter. It helps to have a superstar and Angel McCoughtry is nothing less than that. A triple-double! That is something that we’ve trying to get her to play with her teammates more and she’s beginning to see that when you pass to them they’ll make it better for you to be able to score. It’s a good win for us and definitely something good to get this road trip started."

McCoughtry finished with 27 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists and had just one turnover. She was 13 of 14 from the free throw line.

"We let them come back," McCoughtry said. "The game should have been finished but hey, the fans want to see a game like this. We knew once we tied the game back up at the end, overtime was ours. The fans have seen enough of us losing and I’m tired of it. I had to put my game-face on say look, ‘Let’s go, give me the ball.’"

Sancho Lyttle logged a double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds while Elizabeth Williams added 10 points, seven rebounds and a game-high six blocked shots. Karima Christmas led Dallas with 18 points while Glory Johnson added 16.

The Dream win their second straight and climb back above the .500 mark at 10-9 on the season. Atlanta opens a three-game road trip on Sunday in Connecticut.