The Liberty lost their third-straight game Thursday night, 87-75 to the San Antonio Stars at Madison Square Garden, and coach Bill Laimbeer was disappointed with his team’s effort.
“We’ve got to be mentally stronger. We’re not good enough to overcome those types of mistakes. We start turning the ball over and we’re not going to win,” Laimbeer said. “We made a lot of mistakes in the third quarter. They got it going. Once you get going it’s hard to stop a team. … They sensed they had the kill and they went for it and got it.”
Tina Charles scored 11 points and Alex Montgomery added 10 to lead the Liberty (2-5).
The Liberty were able to stay close in the first half by shooting 59 percent from the field. They trailed 22-17 before closing the first quarter with a 10-2 run. Then Jia Perkins took over for the Stars (4-4), scoring eight points. San Antonio led 47-46 at the end of the first half. The Stars also shot 59 percent from the field in the first 20 minutes.
The Stars picked up their defense in the third quarter, holding the Liberty to just 10 points as the Liberty made 3 of 15 from the field. They also had eight turnovers in the period.
With his team down 22 points midway through the fourth quarter, Laimbeer pulled his starters.
“We’re going to sit down tomorrow and discuss what’s going on,” Laimbeer said. “After the game is not the right time to air grievances.”