Sonia Citron hit a turnaround fadeaway jumper from just inside the 3-point line with seconds remaining, and the Washington Mystics survived a late rally to beat the Toronto Tempo 86-85 on Friday.
Failing to close out games has long been the Mystics’ kryptonite this season, with four close losses in their first 10 games, but they finally managed to get one over the line.
Washington, once again, got off to a strong start, jumping out to a 40-37 lead at halftime and extending it to 65-52 in the fourth quarter. Toronto, though, answered once again, going on a 15-3 run to take a one-point lead with 11.1 seconds remaining in the game.
It looked like another close loss was on the horizon for Washington, but a late jump ball won by rookie center Lauren Betts played a vital role in turning the game in the Mystics’ favor. With 2.1 seconds remaining in regulation, Betts tapped the ball to Sonia Citron, who buried a cold-blooded turnaround fadeaway at the buzzer for the win.
Following the game, Citron was asked what the late win means for the team’s confidence:
“I think we’re just really happy with the outcome. There’s been plenty of games this season where we kind of lost it at the last second. But I think as a team, we just have to learn to not put ourselves in that position. Iwe were up a good amount in the second half, even in the third, fourth quarter. So again, I think there’s just a lot to learn from that, and we’re happy that we could learn from a win and we don’t have to learn from a loss,” Citron said.
The sophomore guard finished with 17 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals. She has now scored in double figures in five of her last six outings.
Sonia Citron credits Lauren Betts for winning the tip
Sonia Citron also tipped her cap to Lauren Betts for winning the tip on the game’s final play. She admitted she was nervous in the closing seconds but was glad it all worked out in the Mystics’ favor.
“I just remember not knowing where to set up because I didn’t know what was going on with the rules, like who can go. And then I just remember Lauren tipped it to me, I got to put it up. She did a great job winning the tip. And then I got it and I had to shoot it. I didn’t have a choice. Just luckily it went in,” she said.
Betts tied a career-high with 18 points and added four rebounds, two steals, and one assist off the bench.
The victory snapped Washington’s two-game losing streak, lifting the team’s record to 5-6. The Mystics now turn their focus to an upcoming four-game road trip, where they will face the New York Liberty twice and the Connecticut Sun.
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