Blodgett helps Rockers take win> Former UMaine star scores 12 points, dishes out six assists vs. Utah

CLEVELAND – Janice Braxton scored 17 points and the Cleveland Rockers took the lead for good during a 16-0 run and beat the Utah Starzz 88-72 Monday night.

Braxton, who has led the Rockers (4-1) in scoring in every game this season, went 11-of-13 from the free throw line.

Isabelle Fijalkowski added 13 points for the Rockers and former University of Maine star Cindy Blodgett had 12.

Blodgett played 34 of the game’s 40 minutes in her longest WNBA game of the season. Cleveland’s Suzie McConnell Serio, the WNBA leader with 8.3 assists per game, sat out the game with an injury to her right foot.

Blodgett, playing her first WNBA season, hit 3 of 8 field goals, including one 3-pointer. She also sank 5 of 8 free throws.

She turned in a solid floor game directing the Cleveland offense as she notched six assists with only three turnovers. Blodgett also made one steal and grabbed five rebounds, all on the defensive end.

Utah (2-4) was led by Margo Dydek’s 18 points, while Elena Baranova had 15 and Fran Harris, Tammi Reiss and LaTonya Johnson 10 apiece.

Utah took a 12-2 lead over the opening 5:57, then the 7-foot-2 Dydek went to the bench with her third personal foul. Cleveland responded with a 30-4 run, including the 16-0 spurt over a 6 1/2-minute stretch.

The Rockers took the lead for good at 18-16 with 9:10 left in the first half on Adrienne Johnson’s layup and they led 44-26 at halftime.

UTAH (72)

Harris 3-4 3-4 10, Baranova 7-11 1-2 15, Dydek 6-8 6-9 18, Reiss 4-10 0-0 10, Head 0-1 1-2 1, Palmer 2-9 0-2 4, L.Johnson 4-8 1-2 10, O.Scott 1-2 2-4 4, Bader 0-2 0-0 0, Williams 0-0 0-0 0, Tremitiere 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 27-57 14-25 72. CLEVELAND (90)

Nemcova 3-6 2-2 8, Braxton 3-7 11-13 17, Fijalkowski 5-10 3-3 13, Bevilaqua 2-3 2-2 6, Jones 2-7 1-1 5, Brown 2-5 2-2 6, Blodgett 3-8 5-8 12, A.Johnson 3-4 2-2 8, Kostic 3-4 1-2 7, R.Scott 2-9 4-4 8. Totals 28-63 33-39 90. Utah 26 46-72 Cleveland 44 46-90

3-Point goals-Utah 4-15 (Reiss 2-4, Harris 1-1, L.Johnson 1-2, Head 0-1, O.Scott 0-1, Tremitiere 0-1, Bader 0-2, Baranova 0-3), Cleveland 1-6 (Blodgett 1-3, R.Scott 0-1, Nemcova 0-2). Fouled out-Baranova, Brown. Rebounds-Utah 42 (Baranova 6), Cleveland 42 (Fijalkowski 8). Assists-Utah 23 (Head 4), Cleveland 23 (Bevilagua, Blodgett 6). Total fouls-Utah 31, Cleveland 24. A-7,405.