STA. LUCIA DOWNS ALASKA, STAYS UNBEATEN

Realtors in KO match with SMB for Finals spot
Sunday, 23 September 2007
Is Sta. Lucia better off minus its old mainstays?
Philippine Basketball Association website

With all due respect to the Sta. Lucia veterans, the team’s PBA Pre-Season Tournament showing suggests so.

The Realtors, minus their men sent to Boston, Massachusetts for training, closed in on the titular game in the pre-season event with a 95-92 win over the titleholder Alaska Aces Saturday night at the Fresnedi gym in Muntinlupa.

Later in the night, Air21 sizzled in the fourth quarter for a come-from-behind 124-110 win over Barangay Ginebra. Both teams, however, are already out of the running for the crown.

Composed of second-tiers and free agents, the Realtors are unbeaten in three games and need only to beat the San Miguel Beermen to gain the right to play the Purefoods Giants for the crown.

Marlou Aquino, Dennis Espino, Kelly Williams, Nelbert Omolon, Paolo Mendoza, Denok Miranda and rookie draftee Ryan Reyes are among Realtors attending skills and conditioning training in the US.

But the Realtors are still able to keep stride with the Beermen in Group A with both teams sporting a 3-0 win-loss slate going into their match.

Alaska is dethroned with a 1-2 card while Red Bull and Coca-Cola are also out with 0-2 and 0-3 records, respectively, in the same group.

The Giants have clinched the first slot in the final 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 already two losses.

Former La Salle star Joseph Yeo, a transferee from Coca-Cola, scored a game-high 22 points and nailed two crucial foul shots in the closing seconds as the Realtors eliminated the Aces and arranged a virtual knockout game with the Beermen.

Willie Miller had a chance to send the game into overtime but missed a three-point attempt at the buzzer.

Getting the needed boost from players hoping to make the Sta. Lucia lineup for the coming season, the Realtors waylaid the Alaska side led by Miller and new acquisitions JR Quinahan and Junjun Cabatu.

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

Rookie JC Intal fired 17 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, fuelling Air21’s mighty surge in the payoff period against Ginebra.

Arwind Santos and KG Canaleta also played big for the Express, scattering 29 and 22 points, respectively. (NC)

The scores:

First Game
Sta. Lucia 95 – Yeo 22, Mamaclay 16, Daa 12, Gonzales 10, Coronel 10, Hubalde 10, Butel 8, Sta. Maria 4, Bughao 3, Pua 0, Santos 0.
Alaska 92 – Miller 16, Hugnatan 16, Quinahan 16, Cabatu 10, Thoss 9, Capuz 8, Cariaso 5, Dela Cruz 4, Bajar 2, Aban 2, Ferriols 2, Bono 2, Juinio 0, Gonzales 0, Laure 0, Castro 0, Uy 0.
Quarterscores: 21-28, 49-46, 68-60, 95-92.

Second Game
Air21 124 – Santos 29, Intal 22, Canaleta 22, Dimaunahan 12, Kramer 10, De Ocampo 10, Arboleda 8, Sotto 4, Se 3, Baluyot 2, Magsumbol 2.
Ginebra 110 – Tubid 21, Salvacion 17, Mamaril 12, Lao 12, Artadi 12, Aquino 10, Escalona 8, Santos 8, Holper 8, Macapagal 2.
Quarterscores: 22-26, 49-53, 71-84, 124-110.