DATE: Sunday, November 2, 1997              TAG: 9711020316

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C11  EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: Reported by GENE MORRIS

DATELINE: SUFFOLK                           LENGTH:   37 lines

N-S ACADEMY WINS TCIS GIRLS TITLE IN BASKETBALL

As Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz said, ``There's no place like home.'' Saturday night host Nansemond-Suffolk Academy proved Toto's owner right, defeating Hampton Roads Academy 42-33 in the final of the TCIS girls basketball tournament.

The fifth-seeded Saints (15-7) reached the final by upsetting top-seeded Walsingham Academy 40-35 Friday. The championship is their fifth overall and their first since 1994.

``We just wanted it more than anyone else out there, and we went after everyone in each game,'' said senior Allison Dunn, who was named the tournament's most valuable player. ``It's an incredible way to end your career.''

With 1:44 to go in the first quarter and Hampton Roads leading 8-6, Dunn stole the ball and fed Leah Starkey, who made a layup and drew a foul on Lindsay Trieshmann. Starkey's free throw put the Saints up by one and they never looked back.

Brianne O'Berry scored eight of her 10 first-half points and Starkey added another three-point play as Nansemond-Suffolk went on a 17-6 scoring drive to take a 26-14 halftime lead.

In the second half, the Navigators (14-7) got as close as seven points as Halle Harris hit a 3-pointer to start the fourth quarter to make it 33-26. However, the Saints made 5 of 7 free throws, including four by Dunn, in the final five minutes to maintain the lead.

``It pumps them up when we took the lead,'' said Saints coach Kim Aston. ``We finally had eight players who wanted to put forth what it takes to win a championship.''

O'Berry led the Saints with 13 points. Starkey finished with 11 and Dunn with 10. Harris led all scorers with 24 points, 17 in the second half, for Hampton Roads.

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