Columbus Still On Quest After Avoiding Abl Sweep Moscow High Graduate Lloyd Instrumental In 70-61 Victory

Tonya Edwards hit two late baskets and Andrea Lloyd made four free throws in the final minute as Columbus beat Long Beach 70-61 on Wednesday night to avoid a sweep in the ABL championship series.

Edwards and Shannon Johnson each scored 15 points, Valerie Still had 14 points, 12 rebounds and eight steals, and Lloyd added 12 points and 10 rebounds for the defending champion Quest.

Long Beach leads the best-of-5 series 2-1.

Friday night’s fourth game and, if necessary, Sunday’s fifth game, will be played at Battelle Hall, where the Quest have won their last 22 games, and have never lost to a Western Conference team.

The Quest used an early 15-0 run - holding Long Beach scoreless for 6:14 of the first and second quarters - to lead by as many as 14 points.

Twice in the fourth quarter the StingRays drew to three points, but each time Columbus responded. A 10-0 Long Beach run, capped by Yolanda Griffith’s free throw at the 8:24 mark, brought the StingRays to 48-45 - the closest they had been since midway through the opening quarter.

But on Columbus’ next two trips down court, Lloyd, a Moscow High graduate, hit a pair of free throws and - after the StingRays’ Andrea Nagy missed a left-handed drive - Johnson made a layup in traffic the other way.

Two Trisha Stafford free throws and a 10-foot jumper by Niesa Johnson cut the deficit to 52-49. But Lloyd scored inside and then Edwards hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key.

Katie Smith scored five points in a row after the StingRays pulled to 57-55 on Griffith’s follow with 3:24 remaining.

With Columbus holding a 62-58 lead and 1:27 left, the Quest held the ball until 2 seconds remained on the shot clock - with Edwards banking in an 8-footer from the left side. After a Long Beach turnover, forced by Still, Sonja Tate took a long pass and hit a layup. Lloyd - who hit all six of her free throws - then kept the StingRays at bay from the line.

Venus Lacy scored 13 points and had 10 rebounds for Long Beach.

Quest 70, Sting Rays 61

Long Beach (61) - Davis-Wrightsil 2-14 1-2 6, Griffith 4-10 4-8 12, Lacy 4-11 5-6 13, Williams 2-7 6-6 10, Nagy 0-5 2-2 2, Stafford 0-1 6-6 6, Wilkerson 0-2 0-0 0, Ruff 0-0 0-0 0, N.Johnson 3-5 6-6 12, Bauer 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 15-55 30-36 61.

Columbus (70) - Lloyd 3-7 6-6 12, Smith 3-7 2-4 8, Still 7-18 0-0 14, S.Johnson 4-10 7-11 15, Edwards 5-13 3-6 15, Thirdgill 0-0 0-0 0, Tate 2-4 0-0 4, Stires 0-0 0-0 0, Davis 0-2 0-0 0, Potthoff 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 25-62 18-27 70.

Long Beach 6 18 16 21 - 61

Columbus 17 17 14 22 - 70

3-Point goals-Long Beach 1-5 (Davis-Wrightsil 1-2, N.Johnson 0-1, Nagy 0-2), Columbus 2-9 (Edwards 2-2, Lloyd 0-1, Still 0-1, S.Johnson 0-1, Tate 0-1, Davis 0-1, Smith 0-2). Fouled out-Lacy, Smith. Rebounds-Long Beach 48 (Griffith 18), Columbus 40 (Still 12). Assists-Long Beach 9 (Nagy 3), Columbus 17 (S.Johnson, Tate 4). Total fouls-Long Beach 25, Columbus 26. Technical- Lacy. A-4,613.