DATE: Monday, March 10, 1997                TAG: 9703100169

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C2   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: RICHMOND                          LENGTH:   56 lines

QUEST BEATS RICHMOND, FORCING DECISIVE GAME 5TH GAME OF SERIES ON TUESDAY IN COLUMBUS, OHIO, WILL DECIDE THE INAUGURAL ABL TITLE.

RICHMOND - The ABL's inaugural ``Golden Girl'' won't be unveiled in Virginia after all.

The league's championship trophy - a nearly three-foot-high number with a wooden base that features a golden statue of a women hoisting a basketball - will have its coming out in Columbus. So will the midcourt, post-game speech ABL co-founder Gary Cavalli will deliver to conclude the league's debut season. And the striking red, white and blue leather ABL championship MVP jacket. And the keys to the new Nissan, also to be awarded to the playoffs' top performer.

It's all headed to the Buckeye State thanks to the Columbus Quest, which put a Richmond Rage championship celebration on hold Sunday with a 95-84 victory in Game Four of the ABL championship series before 4,600 fans at the University of Richmond's Robins Center.

Instead of picking confetti out of players' hair - the Rage began the day with a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series - the Rage must lace 'em up one more time Tuesday in a winner-take-all Game Five at Batelle Hall in Columbus.

``I know Richmond was planning a lot of victory things around here,'' said Quest forward Valerie Still, ``Sorry we had to rain on their parade.''

Word around the league is that the ebullient, 31-year-old Still ``sandbags'' officials and opposing players, buddying up to both before games and imploring them to take it easy on an old woman.

``Who, me?'' she said with a devilish grin. ``Nah.''

If so, the Rage need to stop listening. Still burned Richmond for 22 points and 16 rebounds Sunday.

The Rage also got a big game from Katie Smith, the former Ohio State star, who stepped back in time to produce a game-high 25 points.

``I've been a little passive this year,'' Smith said. ``Today I played the way I used to play at school.''

Add another solid effort from league MVP Nikki McCray (15 points, five assists) and the result was a disappointing day for the Rage, which must now settle matters in a building where the Quest has gone 20-2 this season.

``I wish we were playing at a neutral site,'' Richmond coach Lisa Boyer said. ``Maybe we can go down to Boca Raton or something.''

Although a trademark of deciding games is increased intensity, it's hard to imagine how the action Tuesday can be more intense than it was in Sunday's Game Four. The Rage's Adrienne Goodson took a fierce blow to the head attempting a layup, Still wiped out the Rage mascot while trying to make a save and Smith was sent crashing to the floor by the Rage's Molly Goodenbour.

``It's brutal out there,'' Smith said. ``I'm just glad I hit my free throws.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by ASSOCIATED PRESS

Columbus' Valerie Still blocks a shot by Richmond's Adrienne Goodson

during Sunday's game at the Robins Center.

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