Houston shoots 55 percent from the field in victory

SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Sheryl Swoopes scored 26 points to lead the

Houston Comets to a 78-70 victory over the San Antonio Silver Stars

on Saturday night in the WNBA season-opener for both teams.

Swoopes, the league MVP in 2000 and '02, shot 9-for-16 from the

field, including two 3-pointers, and 6-for-7 from the line.

Marie Ferdinand led San Antonio with 24 points. She missed a

3-point try that would have cut Houston's lead to three points with

16 seconds remaining.

Houston led by as many as 19 points in the second half before

the Silver Stars closed within five with less than a minute

remaining on a 3-pointer by Ferdinand.

The Comets went on a 13-2 run over a 5½-minute span of the first

half to take a 27-13 with 6:45 remaining. Houston shot 5-for-7 in

the run.

Five minutes before halftime, Houston was shooting 66.7 percent

from the floor while San Antonio was shooting 27.3 percent

(6-for-22).

The Silver Stars started with a veteran lineup, but had three

rookies on the floor 7 minutes into the game. Houston led 14-11

while San Antonio had Kendra Wecker, Shyra Ely and Katie Feenstra

on the floor.

Wecker, San Antonio's first-round draft choice and the fourth

pick overall out of Kansas State, hurt her left knee early in the

game and did not return. There was no immediate word on the extent

of the injury.