page_title: Portsmouth F.C. (basketball)
section_title: 1987-88 season
hierarchical_section_title: Portsmouth F.C. (basketball) / 1987-88 season
caption_attribution_description: English: Portsmouth FC Basketball Club captain Alan Cunningham lifts the National League Division 1 championship trophy after their final home league match of the 1986-87 season against Manchester United at the Mountbatten Centre in Portsmouth on February 20th 1987
context_page_description: Portsmouth F.C. Basketball Club are a British professional basketball team based in Portsmouth, Hampshire, that played in the top league of UK basketball from 1985-88. They won the league championship in the 1986-87 and 1987-88 seasons and also reached four major cup finals, including those of all three main domestic knockout competitions in 1987-88.
  Virtually all home games were played at the Mountbatten Centre in Portsmouth, which had bleacher seating on either side plus a balcony around one end and one side. Part of the side balcony was reserved for directors and guests. Two matches in 1986-87 and two in 1984-85 were hosted by Havant Leisure Centre, one in 1984-85 by
  Fleming Park Leisure Centre in Eastleigh and one in 1984-85 by Winchester Recreation Centre.
context_section_description: Dan Lloyd finally swapped tracksuit for suit in 1987-88, concentrating solely on coaching. Held, Fontaine, White, Moore and Williams also left the playing staff. Coming in were Americans Marc Glass and Kenny Stancell, soon to be replaced by Rich Strong, local star Jason Colgan, Roy Lewis and Russell Taylor. Larry Dassie's number 8 vest, vacant since he left the club at the end of 1985-86, was officially retired as a further tribute to him.
  Portsmouth played five games in five days in France to prepare for the new season, clocking up 1,400 miles of travelling as they pitted their talents against French top division clubs. They lost to Tours and Gravelines in the first and last matches but won two of the other three.
  They started their title defence with a 102-88 win at Solent on 19 September 1987, but a week later Manchester United pinched a 70-69 victory at the Mountbatten Centre to leave the champions playing catch-up again.
  In their next league match Portsmouth gained instant revenge on Manchester United with an 81-73 win in the away game to start a run of seven successive league victories.
  The sequence ended with a 99-82 hammering at Kingston on 25 November, but that was to prove Portsmouth's last-ever league defeat, as they reeled off 18 more league wins in a row to clinch back-to-back titles.
  For three months though it was looking like a fruitless pursuit of Kingston, until Calderdale recovered from a poor start to win 89-82 at Tolworth on 14 February 1988.
  This meant that six nights later Portsmouth needed merely to beat Kingston at the Mountbatten Centre to take over at the top, rather than having to repeat the previous season's 18-point success to win the head-to-head.
  Just like two years previously the balcony was packed, although this time a row of advertising boards prevented anyone sitting on the floor. The visitors wore a more conventional all-yellow strip and their supporters waved and released dozens of matching balloons, many grabbed and burst by some of the more partisan young Portsmouth supporters. At regular intervals the tunes of the 'Pompey Chimes' and Mike Oldfield's 'Portsmouth' were played on a drum and an amplified glockenspiel.
  This pivotal clash matched the quality and pace of the 1986 encounter, but with more emphasis on defending and less long runs of scoring. Portsmouth edged into a 17-13 lead, Kingston responded to go up 23-24, the scores were level again at 35 then Portsmouth regained a four-point advantage, going into half-time leading 43-39.
  With 11 minutes 20 seconds to go Portsmouth led 65-59, but they were held scoreless for more than two minutes as Kingston levelled at 65. Marc Glass and Steve Bontrager traded long two-pointers, then a Mike Spaid dunk and a Colin Irish basket gave Portsmouth daylight at 71-67 before a Bontrager three pulled Kingston back to within a single point.
  Spaid made it 73-70 but Irish's fourth foul could not stop Kenny Scott, whose free-throw drew Kingston level with 4 minutes 20 seconds left. Paul Stimpson then gave Kingston a 73-75 lead before Alan Cunningham took over, sinking four consecutive free-throws then stealing the ball and racing away for a lay-up to put Portsmouth 79-75 clear with 2 minutes 39 seconds remaining.
  Colin McNish made one from the line and Dan Davis laid up to bring Kingston back to 79-78, then Rich Strong sank a pair of free-throws to edge Portsmouth clear again at 81-78.
  With a minute remaining former Portsmouth star Joel Moore, who had received a frosty reception from the home fans on his return, tied the scores at 81 with a three-pointer from the top of the key.
  But with just 48 seconds left McNish fouled out and Strong made both free-throws to put Portsmouth up 83-81. A desperate shot from Moore was blocked and Portsmouth broke clear, drew another foul and sank one final free-throw to win 84-81 and prompt joyous scenes among the home support.
  There was still a little work to do, but victory at Livingston meant a 94-80 win at Bolton & Bury Giants on 27 February retained the crown.   The trophy was presented after a 109-57 last lea
caption: Alan Cunningham lifts the league championship trophy after the last league game at home to Manchester United, 20 February 1987
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