Aug 25, 2007, 17:07 GMT
New York, NY - Shameka Christon scored 16 points and ripped down a game-high 15 rebounds as the New York Liberty rolled by the Detroit Shock, 73-51, in Game 1 of the best-of-three Eastern semifinals at Madison Square Garden.
Cathrine Kraayeveld and Janel McCarville scored 13 points each for the Liberty, whose 22-point win was the largest in team playoff history.
Deanna Nolan posted 16 points and added five rebounds to lead the Shock, who are the defending WNBA champs and boasted the best record in the East in the regular season. Shannon Johnson added 11 points off the bench, while Plenette Pierson recorded a team-best eight rebounds in the loss.
Both teams shot below 40 percent in the first half, and the game was deadlocked 25-25 at the break. However, New York began the third quarter on a 20-4 run and never looked back. The Shock scored just nine points in the fourth and trail the series.
© 2007 The Sports Network
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