- Associated Press - Friday, July 16, 2010

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Tamika Catchings had 23 points and 11 rebounds to help the Indiana Fever beat the first-place Atlanta Dream 89-70 on Friday night.

Catchings shot 9 for 15 from the field and had six steals. Katie Douglas scored 20 points, reserve Jessica Davenport scored 17 points in 22 minutes, and Ebony Hoffman added 17 points for Indiana (12-7).

The Fever bounced back from a home loss to Connecticut on Wednesday to draw within one game of Atlanta for the Eastern Conference lead.

Angel McCoughtry scored 27 points for the Dream (14-7). Iziane Castro Marques, who began the day sixth in the league in scoring at 18 points per game, was held to five points on 2-for-11 shooting.

Indiana shot 52 percent from the field, including 61 percent in the second half.

Atlanta entered the game second in the league in scoring at 86 points per game, but the Dream shot 39 percent (23 for 59) in their worst loss of the season.

Catchings reached double figures in points on a bank shot with 8:55 left in the second quarter. She had 15 points and seven rebounds in the first half as Indiana led 41-37 at the break and outrebounded the Dream 20-13.

McCoughtry had 14 points before halftime, including seven from the free-throw line.

Castro Marques made a 3-pointer that bounced off the front of the rim and in, then Shalee Lehning made a layup after a Fever turnover to give Atlanta a 46-45 lead early in the third quarter.

Indiana regrouped, and Briann January’s driving layup in the closing seconds of the period gave the Fever a 66-60 advantage.

A layup by Davenport early in the fourth quarter extended Indiana’s lead to 10. A jumper by January from the top of the key pushed the lead to 73-60.

Indiana held Atlanta scoreless for the first 3:05 of the fourth quarter. A technical foul was called on frustrated Dream coach Marynell Meadors with 4:34 to play.

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