Beverage Masters eye second win

by Gerry Ramos
People's Journal
October 21, 2007

Games today
Araneta Coliseum)
4:05 p.m. – Magnolia vs. Sta. Lucia
6:30 p.m. – Alaska vs. Air21

Powerhouse Magnolia, nee San Miguel Beer, braces itself for a tough and physical outing today when it aims for a second straight win and a piece of the top spot in the 2007 Smart PBA Philippine Cup.

The Beverage Masters take on the Sta. Lucia Realtors in a game expected to test the mettle of the team, both physically and mentally.

Magnolia breezed to the win column by routing the Air21 Express, 121-112, in a high scoring, highly entertaining game during the opener of the conference featuring an all-Filipino cast last week.

But it may be a different story line for the Beverage Masters this time as the Realtors are likely to play again the same bruising game they did against the Purefoods Giants last Wednesday.

Engaging the Giants in a virtual wrestling match, the Realtors appeared winning their game against Purefoods until they unexplicably backed down from the fight in the final quarter and lost, 89-96.

“Kami ang bumigay sa huli,” said Sta. Lucia mentor Boyet Fernandez of the Realtors’ meltdown in the crucial fourth of the game that saw a total of nine technical fouls called and the ejection of players June Simon and Norman Gonzales.

The Beverage Masters were hardly banged up in their fast-paced, sanitized game against the Express, but coach Siot Tanquingcen said they are ready whatever the Realtors will bring on the table.

“We have to deal with it. We have to play the way the refs call it. Everybody’s playing with the same set of rules anyway,” he said.

Magnolia is in the company of five other unbeaten teams on top of the standings – defending champion Barangay Ginebra, a 102-95 winner over Red Bull Friday night, Coca-Cola, Purefoods and Talk ‘N Text, both of which are playing as off presstime in an out-of-town game in Du-maguete City.

Of great interest in the 4:05 p.m. showdown, the first in a Sunday doubleheader at the Araneta Coliseum, is the likely match up between two of the league’s most explosive forwards today – Kelly Williams and Danny Seigle.

Seigle topscored for 28 points in 10-of-16 shooting from the floor in Magnolia’s debut game, while Williams, the PBA top rookie last season, came through with 19 markers and 14 rebounds in Sta. Lucia’s losing effort.

Both Seigle and Williams are coming off a stint with the national men’s team.

Alaska and Air21 square off in the second game at 6:30 p.m.

The two teams dropped their respective opening matches and are hoping to nail a breakthrough win to break out from the cellar they currently occupied along with Welcoat, Red Bull and Sta. Lucia.

The Aces were beaten by the Talk ‘N Text Phone Pals, 106-113.