Realtors deadly in pre-season

By Nelson Beltran
The Philippine Star
Sunday, September 23, 2007

Sta. Lucia Realty, playing minus its main men sent to the US for skills and physical conditioning, continued to show great form in the 2007 PBA preseason tourney, closing in on the titular game with a 95-92 win over Alaska Milk last night at the Fresnedi gym in Muntinlupa.

New acquisition Joseph Yeo scored a game-high 22 points and nailed two crucial foul shots in the closing seconds as the Realtors dethroned the defending champion Aces and arranged a virtual knockout game with the San Miguel Beermen for the right to battle the Purefoods Giants for the crown.

The Realtors and the Beermen pace Group A with identical 3-0 win-loss slates going into their match. Alaska slid to 1-2 while Red Bull is at 0-2 and Coca-Cola 0-3 in the short elimination round.

The Giants have clinched the first slot in the finals after going 3-0 in Group B with a 111-105 victory over the Talk n Text Phone Pals Friday night at the Blue Eagle gym. All the other teams in Group B have suffered two losses already.

Getting tremendous boost from players hoping to make the Sta. Lucia lineup for the coming season, the Realtors waylaid the Alaska side led by two-time MVP winner Willie Miller and new acquisitions JR Quinahan and Junjun Cabatu.

Marlou Aquino, Dennis Espino, Kelly Williams, Nelbert Omolon, Denok Miranda rookie draftee Ryan Reyes are among Realtors sent for training in Boston Massachusetts.

But Yeo, Melvin Mamaclay, Dennis Daa, Norman Gonzales, Christian Coronel and Derrick Hubalde carried the cudgels for the team as they held their own against Miller and Co.

Miller had a chance to send the game into overtime but missed a three-point shot in the closing seconds.