UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) – Lisa Willis scored a career-high 18 points and the New York Liberty beat the slumping Connecticut Sun 77-71 Tuesday night.

Shameka Christon had 14 points for New York, while Cathrine Kraayeveld scored 11 and Janel McCarville had 10. The Liberty (11-9) won their second straight and moved one game behind the second-place Sun (13-9), who have lost four straight.

Willis’ fourth 3-pointer field goal of the game with 4:29 remaining gave the Liberty the lead for good at 61-59. New York held Connecticut scoreless over a span of 5:10 in the fourth period.

Willis made another 3 with 2:17 left to push the lead to 66-59 and complete a 9-0 run. Connecticut got no closer than five the rest of the way.

Lindsay Whalen led the Sun with 19 points, while Jamie Carey had a career-high 18 and Asjha Jones scored 16.

The Sun led 34-26 in the third quarter before Willis’ 3-pointer completed a run that helped New York tie the score at 42. The Sun led by two after the third quarter.

Jones scored with 6:40 left and Connecticut had a 59-56 lead. The Sun didn’t score again until Whalen made a layup with 2:06 left.

Carey’s three 3s in the first gave Connecticut its largest lead of the first half, 28-23, with 1:25 remaining.

Carey led the Sun with nine points in a half when both teams struggled from the field. The Sun shot 11-for-35 (31 percent) to New York’s 9-for-28 (32 percent).

The teams combined to miss the first eight shots of the game.

AP-ES-07-15-08 2119EDT