THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 23, 1997 TAG: 9702230379
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C14 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MICHELLE SCHLOFF, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: 29 lines
Tremayne Boone and James Smith tallied 21 points each to lead Alliance Christian over regular-season champion and top-seeded Portsmouth Christian 74-65 in the Metro Conference boys basketball final Saturday.
It was the third game between the top teams in the conference this season.
``It's been tight with these guys all year,'' Alliance coach Rick Dorn said. ``We knew this time would be fun.''
Portsmouth Christian (16-8) trailed most of the game, but took the lead with 1:07 left in the third quarter. Senior guard Bryan Rustay's layup put it ahead 51-49.
``We just had no defense against them,'' said Portsmouth Christian coach Larry Smith. ``Boone and Smith played excellent defense.''
Alliance (14-11), the Metro Conference runner-up, took control with 1:05 left in the fourth quarter when Boone hit a 3-point goal, his fourth of the night, to give the Falcons a 65-63 lead.
Smith, a 6-foot-6 freshman center secured the Falcon win when he dunked with 21.4 seconds left following a missed foul shot by Boone.
Boone plugged the Patriots with 2.9 seconds left with a free throw.
``Defense won this game,'' Boone said. ``They played tough all night, especially the guards. Coach told us we would come back and we did. We won it because everyone stuck behind us.''