Cleveland Survives Houston Threat on Late Free Throw

Janice Braxton’s free throw with less than a second left in the game Thursday gave the visiting Cleveland Rockers a 76-75 victory over the Houston Comets and continued their playoff chase in front of 9,631.

Braxton, fouled by Tina Thompson, missed the first shot before sinking the winner for the Rockers (14-12).

Michelle Edwards led Cleveland with 15 points.

Cynthia Cooper was held to 15 points, but had nine assists. Kim Perrot had 18 points.

The Comets (18-9), who still hold a 1 1/2-game lead over second-place New York in the WNBA’s Eastern Conference, had won seven of their last eight games.

The Rockers used an 11-0 run midway through the first half and opened a 40-36 halftime lead.

Sheryl Swoopes, whose recent return to the Comets just six weeks after giving birth to a son, finished one of eight from the field and scored only two points in 17 minutes of play.

Charlotte 66, Utah 56--Vicky Bullett and Andrea Stinson each scored 14 points as the Sting (14-12) kept its playoff hopes alive before 8,148 at Salt Lake City. Utah fell to 7-20.

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Cooper, the leading scorer in the WNBA, and Teresa Edwards, a member of four Olympic teams, were among 51 players invited to tryouts Sept. 1-4 for the U.S. national women’s team in Colorado Springs. Ten members of the 1996 Olympic gold medal team were invited including Edwards, Lisa Leslie and Sheryl Swoopes.