Practice Makes Perfect, StingRays Make Finals

Upon seeing her favorite basketball team win its biggest game of the season, Candace Griffith, 8, did the expected.

She ran onto the court and hugged her mom, Yolanda Griffith.

Then she began a joyful dance, like her mom and her teammates, leaping and waving her arms.

The Long Beach StingRays had scored an improbable two-game knockout of the Portland Power in the ABL’s best-of-three Western Conference semifinals, with a 70-69 victory Sunday. The StingRays advance to the best-of-five league championship series, beginning Sunday in Long Beach against Columbus.

In a wild finish in front of 5,825 at the Portland Coliseum, the Power overcame a six-point Long Beach lead with 3:20 to go and then went ahead, 69-68, on a Natalie Williams shot with 16 seconds left.

Then the StingRays, who worked on inbounds plays for 45 minutes at a Saturday practice, executed a beauty to win it with 1.1 second left.

With Andrea Nagy inbounding, Griffith and Venus Lacy crossed underneath, and Portland’s Katy Steding got lost, flailing away at Griffith outside when Lacy, alone underneath, scored.

The series ended in less than 48 hours, after Long Beach’s 72-62 win Friday.

Portland Coach Lin Dunn said the winning play was one “my players had seen a million times. Katy just didn’t slip over and guard Venus.”

With its 69-68 lead, the Power watched Nagy miss a 15-foot jump shot with 10 seconds left.

Then Portland’s Elaine Powell missed a free throw with nine seconds left. And the inbounds pass was awarded to Long Beach after Williams and Griffith crashed together into baseline photographers chasing a loose ball.

Long Beach Coach Maura McHugh again said the plan, as it was Friday, was to hold four Portland starters to their averages and hope for the best against Williams, who had 27 points and 13 rebounds.

“It’s a given that Natalie will get hers--we just didn’t want anyone else hurting us,” she said.

Williams, after two Portland seasons, conceded afterward she may next appear in StingRay blue.

“I’ll make that decision later, not now,” she said of reports that she is Long Beach-bound.