Monarchs beat Sparks despite Spencer’s 22

Nicole Powell had 19 points and eight rebounds, Kara Lawson scored 14 points and the Sacramento Monarchs beat the Sparks, 88-85, Saturday night in their home opener.

Ticha Penicheiro scored 14 points for the Monarchs, who hung on through a tight fourth quarter with balanced scoring after losing leading scorer DeMya Walker in the opening minutes with a right knee injury.

After opening the season with two victories during a difficult four-game trip, Sacramento (3-2) wasn’t safe until Powell stole the ball from Chamique Holdsclaw with two seconds left to quash the Sparks’ final rally.

Rookie Sidney Spencer had 15 of her 22 points in the second quarter for the Sparks, who got to within 80-79 with 2:05 to play on a layup by Marta Fernandez, who had 15 points.

But Powell answered with a three-point basket, and Penicheiro added a driving layup on Sacramento’s next possession. Spencer made her fourth three-point shot with 29 seconds left to cut the Monarchs’ lead to one, but Yolanda Griffith drew a foul as the shot clock expired, then made two free throws with four seconds left.

Mwadi Mabika scored 18 points and Holdsclaw had 16 for the Sparks (2-2), who play Minnesota in their home opener on Friday.

Walker, the Monarchs’ leading scorer during their 2005 title run, crumpled to the court in screams of pain after Taj McWilliams-Franklin inadvertently stepped on her left foot while both players reached for a pass midway through the first quarter. She remained down for nearly 10 minutes while officials rounded up a stretcher and removed her from the court.