Jones' late jumper lifts Connecticut Sun over Liberty in WNBA opener

NEW YORK Asjha Jones made a tiebreaking jumper with 31 seconds remaining and the Connecticut Sun went on to a 78-73 victory over the New York Liberty in the season opener for both teams Saturday.

Tina Charles had 19 points and 13 rebounds to help the Sun spoil the Liberty's one-game homecoming to Madison Square Garden. Allison Hightower scored 13 points, Asjha Jones had 12 and Renee Montgomery added 11.

Cappie Pondexter led New York with 19 points, Plenette Pierson had 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Kara Braxton scored 13.

The Liberty are in the midst of a three-year stretch playing their home games at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. However, the game was moved to the Garden because the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils played an NHL playoff game at the Prudential Center earlier in the day.

After Jones' go-ahead jumper with put the Sun ahead 73-71, Pondexter missed a layup with 19.9 seconds remaining. Danielle McCray made a free throw with 15.1 to go to push the lead to three. On the Liberty's ensuing possession, Leilani Mitchell was called for an offensive foul away from the ball with 7.6 seconds left.

Montgomery made two free throws a second later to seal the win.

Charles tied it at 65 with 4:32 to go, then made a go-ahead layup 36 seconds later to put Connecticut ahead with its first lead since late in the first quarter.

After Pondexter and Braxton made layups 26 seconds apart to put New York back ahead, Charles' hook shot tied it again with 2:51 to go. She was fouled on the play but missed the ensuing free throw.

With the score tied at 71, Essence Carson missed two free throws with 1:44 to go. Braxton got the rebound on the second miss, but the Liberty failed to take advantage of the second chance.

The Sun scored the first eight points of the third quarter to tie the score at 41 on Hightower's 3-pointer with just more than 2 minutes gone in the period.

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Jones' late jumper lifts Connecticut Sun over Liberty in WNBA opener