THE QUEST IS COMPLETED: COLUMBUS TAKES SECOND ABL TITLE

          The Columbus Quest won their second-straight ABL title
     last night, defeating the Long Beach StingRays 86-81 before
     a sellout crowd of 6,313 at Battelle Hall in Columbus, OH
     (COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 3/16).  In L.A., Earl Gustkey reports
     that last night's sellout was only the second in two seasons
     for the Quest.  The team said "500 to 700" fans were turned
     away from last night's game.  Gustkey: "And yes, there were
     scalpers outside -- believed to be an ABL first" (L.A.
     TIMES, 3/16).  In N.Y., Jere Longman wrote that ABL
     attendance was up 20%, to 4,333 this season from 3,500 last
     year, and while the ABL "has better players" than the WNBA -
     - the ABL Finals "had the zero visibility of a blizzard"
     (N.Y. TIMES, 3/16).