DATE: Monday, March 3, 1997                 TAG: 9703030187

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C5   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY JAMES C. BLACK, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.               LENGTH:   51 lines

COACH: ST. AUG'S TITLE WIN A GIFT FROM GOD

Reporters, fans and friends impatiently waited for St. Augustine's coach Norvell Lee at the CIAA tournament post-game conference. Not so much for his strategy and reaction quotes on his team's 70-64 victory over Fayetteville State for the school's first tournament championship. Those were important to some, but Lee had a bit more to offer in his explanations of the game.

``I don't claim the credit,'' said Lee, who raised his voice as if he was at the pulpit on Sunday morning. ``I gave God the credit. He enabled us to do these things. We were destined.''

Yes, Lafonte Moses's thrilling and timely shots were pivotal to the Falcons' title. So too were Chris Elliott's layups and Eric Harris' blocks. However, there was something else that contributed to St. Augustine's success: the Lord.

See, the Lord is why Tajai Young's desperation 3-pointer did not go down for Norfolk State in Thursday's quarterfinal victory. And God is definitely the reason Elizabeth City State's Maurice Mincey's game-winning attempt spun in-and-out of the basket in Friday's semifinal win. At least according to Lee.

``God has a way of evening things out in the end,'' said Lee, a 1959 graduate of the Raleigh school affiliated with the Episcopal Church.

And in the end, the Falcons won a title not many people outside of Raleigh expected the school to capture.

The Falcons (23-7) finished second in the Southern Division behind North Carolina Central. Yet, Lee said St. Augustine's was given little chance of walking away with the championship trophy Saturday night.

N.C. Central, ECSU and St. Paul's were the teams to beat according to reports and conversations Lee heard. However, with hard work and a little ``destiny,'' the Falcons proved the critics wrong.

St. Augustine's 68-44 victory over Livingstone in the first round was highlighted by Moses' absence.

Moses, an all-CIAA pick, missed the game with a sprained ankle.

In the second round, Moses came back and lit up the Spartans for 18 points in 21 minutes during a 67-65 victory. Eventual tournament MVP Bernard Heard limped off the court with a leg injury. He returned though and finished with 18 points.

Against the Vikings on Friday, the Falcons held a 50-36 lead with 12:31 left before ECSU charged back. But St. Augustine's got a clutch 3-pointer from Elliott and held off the Vikings 65-64.

And Saturday's final mirrored Friday's contest. The Falcons almost blew another big lead - 21 points this time - but found a way to hold on.

To Lee, all these things happened for a reason.

``That's really how He is,'' Heard said. ``He preaches to us a lot. We try to take in everything He says.''

So did the crowd who anticipated his post-game sermon.

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