In a game that saw 14 lead changes, Portland found a way to stay a step ahead down the stretch to score an 83-82 home win over the Connecticut Sun on Monday night.
Trailing 75-74 as the clock ticked under two minutes to play, Portland’s Bridget Carleton poked the ball loose and sent a pass ahead to Emily Engster, who dodged a defender at the rim and put two points high off the backboard to give the Fire the lead.
Portland kept the pressure up with Sarah Ashlee Barker swiping a steal and converting a three-point play at the other end to extend the lead to 79-75 with 1:02 to play.
Connecticut’s Hailee Van Lith hit back-to-back shots to tie the score, but Portland’s Sug Sutton drove the lane and hit a short floater to put Portland ahead for good. Carleton hit a pair of free throws to make it 83-79 with 0:10 left.
The Sun hit a late 3-pointer, and the home crowd endured some nervous moments after Portland was hit with an offensive foul for a turnover with two ticks on the clock.
Connecticut fired an inbounds pass just past halfcourt, but a desperation shot was far off the mark as the buzzer sounded.
Carleton and Barker shared the team lead for Portland with 18 points apiece, while Engster added 15.
“We want to win at home every game,” Carleton said. “These fans are incredible, and they brought the energy for 40 minutes. It was an exciting one.”
The Fire honored its original members from the 2000 to 2002 seasons during halftime, and those players cheered on Monday’s victory from courtside seats.
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Portland (2-2) heads off on its first road trip of the season — a three-game stretch that starts at 4 p.m. Wednesday at the Indiana Fever. Connecticut remains winless five games into the season.