THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, February 21, 1997 TAG: 9702211020
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: 52 lines
Tonight's finals in the Beach District basketball tournament resembles the typical Kempsville-Salem doubleheader.
But there will be a decidedly different air to the two games.
When the girls tip off at 5:45 p.m., pride wil be at stake; both teams have already qualified for the Eastern Region tournament.
But when the boys meet in the nightcap, an Eastern Region bid will be at stake.
With Kempsville's girls already in the regional tournament as regular-season champions, Salem's girls earned their berth Thursday with a 34-31 win over Princess Anne at Ocean Lakes.
Kempsville's boys then gave themselves a chance to do the same tonight. However Salem, which beat Beach District boys regular-season champion Cox Wednesday, stands in the way.
Kempsville downed Ocean Lakes 64-52 Thursday, holding off the pesky Dolphins behind a 20-point outburst by McKinley Ford and some timely defense down the stretch by ``Stretch,'' otherwise known as 6-foot-11 University of North Carolina-signee Brian Bersticker.
Bersticker blocked three shots in the last three minutes to slow Ocean Lakes, which had trailed by 17 in the first half. The Dolphins, using timely 3-pointers and a jump-trap defense, had cut the deficit to 51-47 with 5:26 remaining.
But the Chiefs' Bernard Staples, who came off the bench for 15 points, nailed a 17-foot jumper and Ford finished a fast break to push the lead to 55-47.
With Kempsville leading 56-49 later, Bersticker blocked a C.J. Matthews jumper in the lane and Ford scored on a tip-in at the other end. Bersticker then rejected consecutive attempts by Lorenzo Gales.
``The problem with Bersticker is he doesn't play like that for all 32 minutes,'' Ocean Lakes coach Mike Head said. ``You get a couple baskets underneath and think it's OK to go in there. But if Bersticker decides to play, there's no reason to take it in there.''
Bersticker finished with 12 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks.
In the girls' game, Salem led 31-21 after three quarters before going ice cold. Three last-minute free throws by Dwan Riddick were all the points the Sun Devils would get in the final quarter.
Princess Anne trimmed it to 31-29 on a pair of free throws by Okeisha Howard with 1:28 left.
But Riddick made two free throws with 51 seconds left.
Princess Anne's Dominica Moody, who finished with 10 points and 18 rebounds, then made a pair of foul shots.
Riddick, who had a team-high 11 points, added another free throw with 34 seconds left.