PORTLAND, Ore. (Interstat) — The New York Liberty avenged a narrow loss two nights earlier by dominating the Portland Fire 100-82 on Thursday night at Moda Center, using a decisive third-quarter surge and hot perimeter shooting to improve to 3-1 on the season.

New York trailed 20-14 after the opening quarter but outscored Portland 25-17 in the second to take a 39-37 halftime lead. The Liberty then seized control by scoring 31 points in the third quarter while holding the Fire to 16, building a 70-53 advantage entering the final period. New York matched Portland’s 29 points in the fourth to seal the victory.

The Liberty shot 34 of 67 from the field, 50.7 percent, and connected on 15 of 38 three-point attempts. They made 17 of 20 free throws. Portland shot 30 of 68 overall, 44.1 percent, and hit 9 of 31 from beyond the arc. The Fire also made 13 of 20 foul shots.

New York’s offense operated efficiently with 84 possessions for an offensive rating of 118.3, while Portland managed a rating of 95.9 on 86 possessions. The Liberty committed 12 turnovers and forced 15 by the Fire. New York had four offensive rebounds and Portland seven, but the Fire could not overcome their shooting struggles.

Breanna Stewart keyed the Liberty attack throughout the game. She scored on a variety of post moves and pull-up jumpers, and she was a perfect 4 for 4 from the free throw line in the first half. Stewart also grabbed multiple defensive rebounds and had a key assist in the fourth quarter. Pauline Astier was a major factor from the perimeter, hitting three three-pointers in the first half and adding a driving layup in the third quarter. She also made two free throws after drawing a shooting foul. Marine Johannes handed out several assists, finding Stewart for a layup in the third and setting up Alex Fowler for a three-pointer. Betnijah Laney-Hamilton contributed a three-pointer in the first quarter and another in the fourth, and she added a steal early in the game. Julie Vanloo knocked down two three-pointers in the second quarter, including a long jumper that extended New York’s lead. Rebekah Gardner came off the bench to score five points in the third quarter, including a three-pointer off an assist from Johannes, and she later made two free throws in the fourth.

For Portland, Nyadiew Puoch scored 13 points with two rebounds and two assists. She made a running layup in the first quarter, a three-pointer in the first, and another three in the fourth. Emily Engstler had 11 points and four rebounds, including a three-pointer in the first and another in the third. Bridget Carleton also scored 11 points with five rebounds, hitting a three-pointer in the fourth and a pull-up jumper in the third. Haley Jones totaled 10 points with three rebounds, making a layup and two free throws in the fourth quarter. Megan Gustafson scored 14 points off the bench on 5-of-6 shooting, including two layups in the first quarter and two free throws in the fourth. Sug Sutton had eight points and eight assists but shot 3 of 13 from the floor. Luisa Geiselsoder contributed six points and five rebounds, while Sarah Ashlee Barker scored six points with three rebounds.

The game’s most important stretch came in the third quarter, when New York outscored Portland 31-16 to turn a two-point halftime lead into a 17-point advantage. After Portland’s Bridget Carleton missed a fadeaway jumper, Stewart grabbed the rebound and scored a layup. Astier then made a three-pointer off a screen to push the lead to seven. Engstler answered with a three for Portland, but Astier quickly drove for a layup to restore the margin. Stewart added a turnaround jumper and a free throw, and Gardner drilled a three-pointer from the corner. Vanloo followed with a running jumper, and Stewart scored another layup after an offensive rebound. By the time the quarter ended, New York had scored on nine of its last 11 possessions while holding Portland to 4-of-15 shooting, including 1 of 6 from three-point range. The Fire’s only sustained offense in the quarter came from two baskets by Sug Sutton and a pull-up jumper by Carleton, but they never cut the lead below double digits.

Attendance was announced at 13,087.

New York had lost to Portland 98-96 two nights earlier at Moda Center, a game in which the Fire rallied in the fourth quarter. This time the Liberty controlled the final period, matching Portland’s scoring output and pulling away for a comfortable win.

The Liberty’s season opened with a 106-75 victory over Connecticut on May 8, followed by a 98-93 overtime win at Washington on May 10 before Tuesday’s loss to Portland. Portland, after losing to Chicago 98-83 on May 9, had beaten New York on Tuesday to even its record before Thursday’s defeat.

Interstat’s ELO system gave Portland a 52.00 percent probability of winning. New York was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 11.5. The total score of 100 points went over the over-under line of 176.5.