SAN ANTONIO â€" Ticha Penicheiro scored 18 points to help Joe Bryant win his debut as coach of Los Angeles in the Sparks' 84-74 victory over the San Antonio Silver Stars 84-74 on Tuesday night.
Bryant, Kobe's father, took over as coach of the Sparks (5-6) on Sunday after Jennifer Gillom was fired. Los Angeles had lost the previous five games of their seven-game road trip, which ends Friday at Tulsa.
This is Bryant's second stint as coach of the Sparks. He previously coached them from August 2005 until the end of the 2006 season. Bryant didn't waste any time making his presence felt Friday. He drew a technical foul with 2:51 left in the second quarter for arguing a call.
Sophia Young scored 22 points for the Silver Stars (7-4), who have now lost three straight games. Danielle Adams added 16 points and eight rebounds for San Antonio.
Los Angeles began its road trip June 24 in San Antonio, losing in overtime. The Sparks not only had a different coach then, but they had their leading scorer, Candace Parker. She missed her fourth straight game with a knee injury Tuesday.
Led by a lineup featuring five reserves, the Sparks went on a 15-4 run to open the second quarter. The only starter to play in the period for the Sparks, who led by two at halftime, was DeLisha Milton-Jones. Young helped keep the Silver Stars in the game with eight second-quarter points.
The Sparks held the Stars to 7-of-22 shooting in the third quarter to open up an eight-point lead before increasing the advantage in the fourth quarter. Penicheiro scored nine points in the quarter.
The Sparks scored 49 points off the bench, led by Natasha Lacy. Reserve Jantel Lavender added 12 and Ebony Hoffman had 12.
Los Angeles held the Silver Stars to 36 percent shooting and outrebounded them 43-31.
The Associated Press
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