style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Leon Goolsby.

"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Suddenly that changed in the fourth quarter as

class=SpellE>Norcom raised their defensive intensity and energy to

another level.  The Greyhounds

wasted no time either, erasing a seven-point deficit in a span of 1:26, putting

the Chargers on their heels and in an uncomfortable position.

"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"We got the pace to where we liked it, up and

down, made some shots and hit some free-throws down the stretch.

style='mso-spacerun:yes'>  What we did was we started trapping a

little bit more and our pressure caused them to throw the ball away,"

class=SpellE>Goolsby added.

"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Six-foot-7 junior forward Dorian Finney-Smith tied the game up at 44-apiece with 5:19 to go

with a dunk.  "When Dorian

made the dunk, that really sparked us, gave us life again.

style='mso-spacerun:yes'>  The momentum really swung to our side."

style='mso-spacerun:yes'> 

"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Chantilly shot 3-of-9 from the field and only 1-of-6

from three-point land in the fourth quarter, whereas Norcom

made the most of their opportunities, scoring five of their 26 fourth quarter

points off of turnovers.  The

Greyhounds shook off a six-point third quarter by shooting 7-of-9 from the

field over the game's final eight minutes.

style='mso-spacerun:yes'>  It was their largest deficit they

overcame for a victory all season long to this point.

"Verdana","sans-serif"'>

class=GramE>Again - - In the postseason, he's been an

animal.  Finney-Smith, the younger

brother of Old Dominion's Ben

Finney, a former Greyhounds standout, has posted five double-doubles over

the past seven games.  In that span

he's averaging 17.7 points and 11.2 rebounds a contest, continuing to

befuddling opposing coaches that have to prepare for him with his length,

versatility and athleticism that at times seem second to none.

style='mso-spacerun:yes'>  Sensing the moment, he rose to the

occasion like all great players do.

"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"I had to step up as a leader and make a big

play," Finney-Smith said.

"Verdana","sans-serif"'>With Chantilly within two late in the fourth quarter,

Finney-Smith made a huge steal at the 2:27 mark, passed it ahead to

class=SpellE>Kameorn

style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'> Mack, who scored and was fouled.

style='mso-spacerun:yes'>  Norcom went

ahead five and Chantilly didn't get a possession again the rest of the

game to tie or take the lead.

"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"That was a big play and he's an

outstanding player," Chantilly Head Coach Jim Smith stated in praising Finney-Smith.

style='mso-spacerun:yes'>  "Finney-Smith creates a lot of

matchup problems.  We felt coming in

he was an All-State caliber player, and he stepped up and made a nice, good

defensive play at a critical time."

"Verdana","sans-serif"'>The other two key cogs in Norcom's

'Three Musketeer' junior trio,

style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Decarlos Anderson and Jeremy

class=SpellE>Canty, scored in double-figures as well.

style='mso-spacerun:yes'>  Anderson had 15 points, giving him 36

over the last two games, and Canty chipped in 11

points in 30 minutes of action.

"Verdana","sans-serif"'>The city of Portsmouth has never produced a State

Championship team in boys basketball.

style='mso-spacerun:yes'>  Right now the Greyhounds are playing

with that pride for their whole community and city.

"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"It feels good to be playing for the people and

the city of Portsmouth," Anderson said.

115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Canty

style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>

wasn't ready to go home either, at least not until there is something to

celebrate.  That chance will come if

they can beat undefeated Petersburg (29-0) in Friday's AAA State

Championship game at 9PM at the VCU Siegel Center.

"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"I just feel like we're the only thing

Portsmouth has got as a whole," he said.

style='mso-spacerun:yes'>  "It really hurts me when I

lose.  I don't like losing,

but when we lose, I feel like we let the whole city down.

style='mso-spacerun:yes'>  I don't like letting them down

because we're the only thing they've got looking forward to."

"Verdana","sans-serif"'>

Headline #3:

style='mso-spacerun:yes'>  Fridy's

3^rd Quarter 3's Not Enough to get to

Friday - - To overcome their half-time deficit, Chantilly needed someone to

step forward and take charge for the Chargers.

style='mso-spacerun:yes'>  Guard

style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Kethan Savage had a solid game with 19 points on 5-of-9 shooting.

style='mso-spacerun:yes'>  John

Manning, the Northern Region Tournament MVP and the 7-foot-tall junior for

Chantilly, put up decent numbers with 11 points, four rebounds and two

blocks.  The guy that really gave

them a lift was 6-foot-2 senior forward Adam

Fridy, the team's best three-point shooting

weapon on the year.

115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Fridy

style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>

hit three critical three-pointers in the third quarter in helping Chantilly

take the lead.  He finished with 14

points on 5-of-10 from the field and 4-for-9 from long distance.

style='mso-spacerun:yes'>  Norcom's

energy proved to be too much in the closing minutes, though.

"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Chantilly has hopes of returning to the State

Tournament, however.  Seven juniors

and three sophomores are on the roster with starters Manning, Savage and

style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Devin Ballam all

coming back.  Coach Smith is

encouraged by the fact his team won nine of their last ten games leading up to

Wednesday's State Semis, and bouncing back from the Concorde District

Tournament Final loss to Oakton.

"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"I think our kids were smart enough to know that

the Oakton game wasn't us and that we were very capable of making a run

in the region if we had everybody healthy," Smith said.

style='mso-spacerun:yes'> 

"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"As I told the kids in the locker room, I'm

extremely proud of this group putting themselves in a position where they

realistically had a chance to compete for a State Championship, and also win

the Northern Region.  You always

like to think as a coach you're going to win it next year, but who knows,

Chantilly might not win another regional Championship for another 20 years."

"Verdana","sans-serif"'> 

style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Stats:

style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Norcom

style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>

line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'> 61:

10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Dorian Finney-Smith

- 18Pts. 5-13FG, 2-5 3's, 6-8FT, 8Reb. 3Ast. 2Blk.

Decarlos Anderson - 15Pts. 5-7FG, 5-8FT, 2Reb.

Jeremy Canty - 11Pts. 3-10FG, 2-6 3's,

4Reb. 2Ast.

James 'Tre' Theus

- 10Pts. 3-5FG, 2-5 3's, 2Reb. 3Ast. 2Stl.

style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Greyhounds

- 19-40FG, 6-15 3's, 17-23FT, 27Reb.

style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>

115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'> 11Ast.

11TO's, 7Blk. 5Stl.

style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Chantilly

52:

style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Kethan

style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>

115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'> Savage - 19Pts. 5-9FG, 8-12FT,

6Reb. 2Ast.

Adam Fridy - 14Pts. 5-10FG, 4-9 3's (4-5

3's 2^nd Half), 4Reb.

John Manning - 11Pts. 4-7FG, 3-6FT, 4Reb. 2Blk.

style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Chargers

- 17-44FG, 5-18 3's, 13-20FT, 29Reb.

style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>

115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'> 7Ast. 12TO's,

3Blk. 4Stl.

"Verdana","sans-serif"'> 

font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'>Matthew Hatfield is the AAA

State Basketball Analyst for VirginiaPreps.com - the #1 High School Sports Site

on the Rivals Network.  Check out Hatfield's website -

href="http://www.matthewhatfield.com/">

line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#00008C;

text-decoration:none;text-underline:none'>www.matthewhatfield.com

style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";

color:black'> - for more on the pro and college sports scene.  To contact

Matthew, please e-mail

style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";

color:#00008C;text-decoration:none;text-underline:none'>hatfieldsports2k4@yahoo.com

style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";

color:black'>, and catch him every Saturday during High School Sports Talk on

href="http://www.espnradio941.com/">

line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#00008C;

text-decoration:none;text-underline:none'>ESPN Radio 94.1

style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";

color:black'>.

style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>