shot to close the gap to just 80–77 with 3 minutes 49 seconds remaining. But Moore then hit his seventh three-pointer, Strong missed a pair of free-throws and Clark sank two from the line, effectively ending the contest at 85–77 before Kingston ran out 90–84 winners. Steve Bontrager, this time with only one of his children, lifted the trophy and Joel Moore received the MVP award. Portsmouth travelled to the Granby Halls in Leicester for the 'Tournament of Champions' on 1 January 1988, but after holding a 13-point lead in their semi-final with Kingston they unravelled to an 86–93 defeat in the last three and a half minutes. The League Cup replaced the British Masters in 1987–88, and after home and away group stage victories over Solent and Bracknell, Portsmouth once again met Kingston in a semi-final. Portsmouth won the first leg at the Mountbatten Centre 94–87 on 23 March, but three nights later at Tolworth they trailed 80–72 with one second left and were seemingly heading out of the competition. Then Karl Tatham was fouled attempting a three-point shot on the buzzer. After lengthy discussion among the officials Tatham was awarded three free throws. He sank the first two then threw the third up towards the ceiling to celebrate Portsmouth's one-point aggregate victory. Marc Glass hit a three-pointer from the halfway line at the end of the first half of the final against Livingston at the Aston Villa Leisure Centre on 30 March, but that proved Portsmouth's high point of the evening as the Scottish side took the trophy with a 96–91 win. Home and away wins over eighth placed Solent in the playoff quarter-finals took Portsmouth back to Wembley Arena for the 'final four' weekend on 9 and 10 April, and this time they won their semi – beating Manchester United 98–90 – to ensure they achieved the hat-trick of major final appearances that season. But once again there was disappointment as Livingston inflicted another defeat, this time 81–72. Sudden end Shortly after the season concluded John Deacon announced his intention to move his franchise to the newly built Rivermead Leisure Centre in Reading, then in May 1988 he sold Portsmouth Football Club. With nobody offering to finance a basketball club in either Portsmouth or Reading, ownership of the franchise reverted to the league. Portsmouth FC Basketball Club's financial affairs were formally wound up in April 1989. Cunningham