SLR 84, Coke 100

Coca-Cola head coach Bo Perasol is still far from satisfied despite his team just coming off an impressive win that drew it closer to a coveted slot.

"The only way we could say we have improved as a team is when we are already in the quarterfinals," said Perasol following his team's 100-84 manhandling of Sta. Lucia Realty Sunday at the start of the PBA Fiesta Conference's knockout wildcard phase.

"Winning now is not something to celebrate," he added. "Getting to the quarterfinals is."

Based on the way his team played, that objective should be realized on Wednesday, when the Tigers collide with the winner of a similar knockout match between Rain or Shine and Air21 later Sunday evening.

Hurdling either the Elasto Painters or the Express is a difficult task, but Perasol also said it is very doable.

Gary David notched a personal season-high 32 points and John Williamson chipped in his ample share with 30 and 14 rebounds as Coke put up a big third quarter that broke the game wide open.

"We've got to give it to Gary. Even though he may be erratic at times, there’s still no questioning his desire," said Perasol of the off-guard who also had four rebounds, two assists and a steal to offset four turnovers.

Williamson, who passed by two points his previous PBA career high, also drew special mention from Perasol.

"He has gotten involved in our system," noted the tactician. "He may not be flashy, but he keeps on doing the little things, like rebounding, defending, attracting the double team and passing off to the right people."

The difference even got stretched to 75-57 and even though the Realtors fought back to within seven points, David and Williamson again led a final breakaway.

A poor shooting night, translated into a 26-for-86 field shooting or a conference-low 30.2 percent, hastened the Realtors’ finish to either eighth, depending on Air21’s windup, and exit.

Anthony Johnson, usually good for almost 30 points a game, epitomized SLR's sour touch by going 5-for-21 from the floor. He finished with 20 points but only by going 10-for-14 from the stripes. He also had 16 rebounds.

Yousif Aljamal, who suffered a sprain during practice earlier in the week, did not see action in the first half but more than made up for it in the second and wound up with 17 points.

Ali Peek was the lone other double digit scorer for SLR with 12, but he got totally outworked under the boards.

David and Williamson had plenty of help, with Mark Macapagal adding 13 points and Asi Taulava hauling down a game-high 18 rebounds to go with nine points.

Coke also withstood the early exit of starting point guard Marvin Cruz seemed well on his way to more than decent game with four points, five rebounds and two assists in 10 minutes before being taken out by a freak accident with only 1:38 left in the half.

He stepped on the foot of referee Bong Pascual during a hard weakside cut and suffered a sprained right foot in the process. (NC)

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SLR 76, Coke 87

The Coca-Cola Tigers remained on the prowl.

The Tigers roared on, making it three in a row with John Williamson in tow to stay in the running for an outright quarterfinals berth.

Coke finished strong in the second quarter and sustained the heat in the final half for a pivotal 87-76 win over Sta. Lucia Realty in the PBA Fiesta Conference at the Araneta Coliseum on 25 June 2010.

Williamson and company stayed in equal footing with the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters at 8-9, both having a chance at catching up with the Barangay Ginebra Kings (9-9)at fifth place at the close of the double-round elimination phase.

Coca-Cola and Rain or Shine clash in a virtual playoff match Sunday also at the Big Dome.

The winner forces a playoff with the Kings for the last automatic slot in the quarters while the loser settles for a spot in the wildcard plays.

“We’ve got a crack at an outright quarters slot on a three-game romp. It would be meaningless if we bungle our game Sunday,” said Coca-Cola coach Bo Perasol.

“Rain or Shine will surely be there fighting so it’s gonna be a battle. We’ll be there going for it,” Perasol added.

Coke’s “Big Four” of Williamson, Gary David, Asi Taulava and Dennis Espino all delivered huge numbers as the Tigers got the key win following an equally important victory by the Elasto Painters earlier in the day.

Victories by both Coca-Cola and Rain or Shine denied Ginebra outright entry into the quarters.

David put in a game-high 22 points with Williamson adding 20 points, Taulava 17 and Espino 16.

The Tigers had a so-so start but picked up their game towards the end of the first half and kept on going in the final 24 minutes of play.

Coca-Coca, which trailed by as many as 10 early on, took the half at 41-35 on a strong closing run capped by back-to-back baskets by Espino.

The Tigers stretched their lead to 14, 64-50, at the end of the third and did a good job holding on to the finish. (SB)

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SLR 95, Aces 103

Alaska survived an early bombardment from Sta. Lucia Realty to come out a 103-95 victory last 20 June 2010 and keep alive its hopes of making it outright to the semifinals of the PBA Fiesta Conference at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Aces remained poised despite the Realtors' early surge to a 20-point lead, rallying behind Cyrus Baguio before having Diamon Simpson lead them home.

"We were shellshocked by the bombs they threw at us in the first quarter and a half," admitted Aces coach Tim Cone, whose wards were barraged by 11 three-pointers by the Realtors in the first half alone. "It was like shock and awe out there. We couldn't run for cover fast enough."

"But we told out players to keep playing beyond it, keep working, and hopefully some of their shots won't fall in."

Baguio sparkled in the second quarter, where he scattered 15 of his 23 points to bring the Aces back from 28-48 down to within 51-54 at halftime, before Simpson took over and eventually finished with a game-high 32 points on top of 10 rebounds.

"Parang ang nasa isip ko na lang gumawa ng paraan dahil malaki na ang lamang," said Baguio, who made all his three attempts in the second period.

"Nu'ng pumasok ang mga tres ko, parang nagkakumpiyansa na ituloy-tuloy na," he added.

The win was Alaska's 11th in 17 games, putting it just half a game behind B-Meg Derby Ace, idle with an 11-5 slate. The Aces can figure in a playoff for the outright semis berth should they win their last game against 12-5 San Miguel Beer and the Llamados drop one of their two remaining games.

Cone pointed out some of the scenarios happening are simply out of their hands and they could be content with their current automatic quarterfinals seat. “We can control how we play San Miguel, but we can’t control Derby Ace,” he said.

"We know it's not all in our control, so our goal is to get the best scene we can and go from there, whether it be at third or fourth."

Sta. Lucia dropped to a 5-12 card, its hopes of making the wildcard now hinging on winning its last game in the eliminations against Coca-Cola next week since both Air21 and Barako Energy Coffee, toting similar 3-13 records, can still catch the Realtors.

Anthony Johnson finished with a team-high 26 points an game-high 12 rebounds. But he had four of his six turnovers in the payoff period that helped fuel Alaska’s homeward surge.

The way SLR wound up its shooting from beyond the arc was vastly different from how it started the game and helped its downfall as it got beaten in both points in the paint (54-30), fastbreak points (25-8) and rebounds (48-39).

The Realtors made all but four of their first 15 triple tries before missing all but four of their last 13 attempts. (NC)

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SLR 66, Derby Ace 73

After coming out short the last time versus Alaska Milk, B-MEG Derby Ace had little improvement, barely hanging on at the finish against Sta. Lucia.

The Llamados squeezed out a 73-66 win over the Realtors and thus regained a piece of third place in the 2010 PBA Fiesta Conference at the Cuneta Astrodome on 2 June 2010.

"It was an ugly win but still something positive in terms of the outcome. We couldn’t play that way up against tough teams," said Derby Ace coach Ryan Gregorio after the game.

"Nuong bumaba ng sais, hindi na ako makahinga, Good thing, the guys made the shots when we needed it badly," Gregorio added. "I was telling the guys, we have to cut down on our errors and we have to make the free shots. True enough, we went under siege committing errors and missing free shots."

The Llamados eventually eased out the pressure as KG Canaleta and James Yap canned in three fouls shots making it 73-64 with 40 seconds left to play. Repeating their 86-79 win over the Realtors in their previous tiff, the Llamados climbed back to joint third with the Ginebra Kings at 8-5.

The Realtors suffered a fourth straight loss after the departure of Kelly Williams and Ryan Reyes, and the team reeled further down the chart at 4-9. Derby Ace made it four-zero versus Sta. Lucia in the season. Gregorio, however, insisted he's far from satisfied with their performance.

"We can't just relax, be comfortable and just coast along. We're up against San Miguel next. We can’t survive playing this kind of basketball," said Gregorio.

The Realtors waged a fierce chase at crunch time, smelling blood as Derby Ace import Cliff Brown fouled out with over two minutes left to play. Sta. Lucia had come within six at 64-72 when Canaleta and Yap strung up three straight free throws to hold off the Realtors.

Yap knocked in three triples and finished with a team-high 21 points that went with one rebound, one assist and one block against one turnover. Paul Artadi, with 18 points, was the only other Llamado who wound up with a double-digit output in the low-scoring contest. Anthony Johnson led the losing team with 23 points and 14 rebounds. (SB)

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SLR 84, SMB 91

San Miguel Beer recovered quickly from a loss the last time out, regaining solo lead in the 2010 PBA Fiesta Conference on a 91-84 drubbing of Sta. Lucia Realty at the Ormoc Astrodome on 29 May 2010.

Their nine-game streak halted by the Ginebra Kings last 26 May 2010, the Beermen got back on track right away with a repeat win over the Realtors.

The Beermen built a 79-65 lead on a 10-to-nothing opening run in the fourth quarter then fended off a late chase by the Realtors for an 11th win in 13 outings in the season-ending tourney.

Veteran playmaker Olsen Racela pumped in a key shot with 14 ticks left to play, settling the outcome of the game at 90-84.

Gabe Freeman piled up 22 points and nine rebounds while Jay Washington and Jonas Villanueva combined for 28 points for the Beermen who kept a clean slate versus the Realtors in their head-on games in the last three conferences.

San Miguel walloped Sta. Lucia 93-74, in their previous tiff in the reinforced tourney.

Suffering another three-game slump, the Realtors slid to joint seventh place with the Coca-Cola Tigers on their identical 4-8 win-loss cards.

Sta. Lucia lost its last three games by an average margin of 12.6 points after dealing Kelly Williams and Ryan Reyes to Talk n Text.

The Realtors engaged the Beermen in a battle in the first three quarters before fading away in the payoff period.

Anthony Johnson had 30 points for the losing team in the Ormoc stop of the Phoenix Fuel PBA on Tour.

The prolific Sta. Lucia import scattered 15 points in the first half before being held down to a single free throw in the first 18 minutes of the final half.

The Beermen had pulled away when Johnson regained his touch, making 14 points in the last six minutes of play.

Pong Escobal put in a career-high 14 points -- a big help as Sta. Lucia fought San Miguel tooth and nail early on.

Meanwhile, Yousif Aljamal, also a former Talk n Text player like Escobal, had clutch baskets fueling a minor siege by SLR in the payoff period.

San Miguel easily withstood the challenge thus completing another convincing triumph. (SB)

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SLR 78, TNT 92

Talk n Text just continued to show what it can do with a star-studded, talent-laden lineup.

The rampaging Tropang Texters pummeled the Sta. Lucia Realtors in the last three quarters, hacking out a 92-78 win that firmed up their hold of second place in the 2010 PBA Fiesta Conference elimination round at the Araneta Coliseum last 24 May 2010.

Three Texters came through with double-double jobs with two others contributing at least 12 points as TnT made it seven in a row – the last three since the arrival of Kelly Williams and Ryan Reyes.

Williams got away with 19 points and 10 rebounds in his first game against his former team, with Jimmy Alapag and Shawn Daniels having their own double-double numbers as they led TnT to a ninth win in 11 games overall.

"After a great game against Derby Aces, what we guarded against was the proverbial deep in performance," said TnT coach Chot Reyes.

"Natural sa team yon after a good game, bumababa ang laro, and that’s our worry coming into this game. We did experience a fall at the start of the game. Good thing, our second team gave us tremendous boost," Reyes added.

Reyes made special mention of Williams, Jared Dillinger, Jason Castro and Ryan Reyes who played well coming off the bench.

No one played better than Williams who torched his former teammates with a 7-of-11 field-goal shooting and 5-of-6 clip from the stripe.

Reyes and Williams believe the team could only get better.

"It would come down to jelling. If we jell quickly and get a good flow, I think we’re capable of really making a run at the championship," said Williams.

"Hopefully, we've put together a team that can score and play some great defense. If we get that balance, we would be pretty tough to beat. But we’re still a work in progress," said Reyes.

With Williams, Dillinger and Reyes providing instant offense coming off the bench, the Texters pulled away in the second quarter and never looked back.

They made it two in a row over the Realtors in the elimination round, nailing the win that matched their seven-game romp in the same tournament six years ago.

So amazing were the Texters that they won their last seven games by a whopping average margin of 13.65 points.

They came off a 114-89 blasting of the B-MEG Derby Ace.

Anthony Johnson piled up 29 points and 14 rebounds in a losing cause.

Ali Peek, Nic Belasco, Pong Escobal and Yousif Aljamal all struggled in their first game versus their former team. (SB)

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SLR 85, Ginebra 102

For once in quite a while, Barangay Ginebra displayed some of its old fire.

That, and the fact Sta. Lucia Realty was still trying to adjust playing without two of its most prized players, led to the Kings' 102-85 victory in the PBA Fiesta Conference at the Araneta Coliseum last 16 May 2010.

Mildon Ambres and Ronald Tubid led the Ginebra players who mostly provided the sustaining fire as the Kings not only started the second round of eliminations on a bright note but also broke the spell SLR has cast on it this season.

“At least we saw something positive in today's game. They (Kings) played more as a team today. They tried their very best and showed fire,” said Barangay Ginebra coach Jong Uichico, whose team barely won two of its last three games, struggling in both.

Things were drastically different Sunday night as the Kings dominated from start to finish, even leading by 23 points twice, en route to improving their win-loss record to 6-4.

Uichico, however, quickly pointed out SLR is still trying to adjust from the trade sealed last 12 May 2010 that saw Kelly Williams and Ryan Reyes being shipped to Talk ' Text.

The absence of the two, who combined to average 32.0 points, 21.3 rebounds, 8.6 assists, 2.7 steals and 1.0 blocks in three previous wins against Ginebra this season, was clearly a factor and tempered Ginebra's jubilation.

"It's hard to make this a judgment day, kasi nawalan ng players ang Sta. Lucia. Those two are the core of their team," Uichico pointed out.

Yet Uichico is also aware his team may have gained some momentum.

"We have tough games coming up, against Alaska and San Miguel Beer, so kailangan we should build on this win, keep on improving," he said.

Adjustment is also the operating word for the Realtors, who dropped to a 4-6 slate.

"We have so many things to adjust," said SLR coach Boyet Fernandez, whose team drew a game-high 31 points and nine rebounds from Anthony Johnson but got outrebounded 40-53.

"We've got a lot to learn in our defensive rotation," he added. "Hindi pa nag-click sa rotation, at kailangan pa ang konting adjustment, execution-wise sa mga bagong dating."

Marlou Aquino's grandfather also passed away in Pangasinan recently, preventing him from joining practice for two days. But there were some bright notes, like Yousif Aljamal draining four triples for 12 points and Ali Peek hauling down seven rebounds.

But those are overshadowed by the fact that Jayjay Helterbrand, Mark Caguioa and Eric Menk each had at least 12 points, while Rudy Hatfield added on to anchoring the defense on Johnson by snaring 10 rebounds for Barangay Ginebra.

The Kings also shot 50 percent from the floor, the percentage pulled down a bit by its 11-for-24 clip from beyond the arc.

Tubid going a perfect 5-for-5 from three-point land and Ambres and Helterbrand adding three triples each helped Barangay Ginebra pull away, although it was Caguioa's fastbreak layup that made it a 93-70 count, 4:29 left.

That proved enough to put a stamp on Barangay Ginebra's total domination of the second half and quash whatever drive the Realtors may still have had.

It was a different story in the first two quarters.

With Tubid scoring eight straight points during a 13-4 run to start the second period, the Kings seemed well on their way to a runaway win.

Those thoughts quickly vanished when Aljamal came in to drain three triples and, with help from Johnson and Gabby Espinas (13 points), led SLR in whittling the deficit to just 37-48.

It took another trey by Tubid before Barangay Ginebra had a 51-37 halftime lead it sustained to 77-63 going into the fourth period, mainly due to Ambres' 14 third quarter points. (NC)

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SLR 91, Aces 87

Sta. Lucia outfought Alaska Milk in the crunch on 13 May 2010, hacking out a 91-87 win in what could well be Kelly Williams’ last game as a Realtor.

SLR and Talk n Text top officials were to finalize their trade deal involving Williams after the game.

"There's some issue about Kelly. It's for management to talk about it. What I can say is that I can't picture my team without my MVP (Williams)," said Sta. Lucia coach Boyet Fernandez on the impending trade.

Anthony Johnson went 6-of-6 from the stripe in the final minute as Sta. Lucia beat out Alaska in a fierce battle to close out with a 4-5 win-loss card in the initial round of the PBA Fiesta Conference elimination phase.

Johnson finished with 36 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and three steals while Williams wound up with 15 points, nine rebounds, four steals and three assists in what could well be his farewell outing as a Realtor.

Talk n Text is after Williams who the Smart-PLDT franchise intends to loan to the Smart Gilas RP team in at least three major international competitions.

Williams is likely to be already with the Tropang Texters as they clash with the Coca-Cola Tigers Friday at the Araneta Coliseum.

"It's for management to confirm or deny it but I really can't visualize my team without Kelly. I came in this team with Kelly already there. I was an assistant coach when we picked him as the top draft pick (in 2006)," said Fernandez.

Ryan Reyes and Nelbert Omolon contributed double-digit outputs as the Realtors made it five in a row over the Aces in their head-on duels in the import-laden tourney.

The Aces appeared headed for a win when they ignited a bristling 16-6 run to surge ahead at 87-83 with 1:59 left to play.

The Realtors, however, didn't give up, coming up with a decisive endgame run to salvage the game.

Sta. Lucia dealt Alaska a fourth loss against the same number of wins.

Cyrus Baguio put in 10 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter, keying the run that had Alaska racing ahead entering the final stretch.

LA Tenorio had his sterling exploits before missing crucial shots at endgame that hastened their downfall. (SB)

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SLR 74, SMB 93

With Kelly Williams bound to move over to Talk n Text in the next few days, the Sta. Lucia Realtors were aching to beat the San Miguel Beermen on 7 May 2010.

The Beermen, however, had another thing in mind. San Miguel stretched its hot streak to seven games, assuring itself of a slot in the 2010 PBA Fiesta Conference playoff phase with a 93-74 whipping of Sta. Lucia at the Araneta Coliseum.

Arwind Santos and Gabe Freeman both churned out double-double numbers as the Beermen bucked the absence of the injury-stricken Jay Washington in keeping their domination of Williams and his Sta. Lucia teammates.

"Ang idea lang namin was not to take Sta. Lucia for granted. We know that they're a very aggressive team. Blue-collar worker yan. Patay ka kapag minaliit mo sila," said San Miguel coach Siot Tanquingcen.

"The guys kept that in mind. Arwind Santos typified the effort the team put in as he did a good job on both ends of the court. Dumepensa na kay Anthony Johnson, nag-deliver pa sa opensa," Tanquingcen added.

Santos came through with 18 points and 15 rebounds, outclassing Williams in what's probably one of his last few games as a Realtor. Top officials of both Sta. Lucia and Talk n Text admit they're close to coming to terms regarding Williams' transfer to the Smart-PLDT franchise.

At halftime, Williams said: "Wherever I end up with, I'll to do what I have to do – give my best in each game."

Williams struggled with a 6-of-24 field-goal shooting for 14 points that went with 12 rebounds, two steals, one assist and one block in 44 minutes of action. The entire Sta. Lucia team shot only 31.9 percent from the field as the Realtors suffered a fifth straight loss to the Beermen dating back to last season.

San Miguel guaranteed itself of a spot in the post-elims play as it closed out with an 8-1 win-loss record in the first round of the preliminary phase. Sta. Lucia suffered a fifth loss against three wins.

"We finished on top in the first round but pero mukhang mahihirapan na kami sa second round. Nagsisimula ng mag-pick up ng rhythm ang mga kalaban," said Tanquingcen.

San Miguel opened a 17-point spread, 59-42, in the third quarter but Sta. Lucia came back to life on a 16-6 run. Both teams struggled at the start with the Realtors taking a 16-15 edge in the opening period before the Beermen seized control and surged ahead, 41-35, at halftime. (SB)

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SLR 108, Coke 94

Marlou Aquino had an unusually impressive game. If he could keep it up, Sta. Lucia Realty coach Boyet Fernandez claims the Realtors will be in good shape.

Aquino had a 20-point game for the first time in nearly three years last 1 May 2010, helping the Realtors get past the Coca-Cola Tigers, 108-94, in the PBA Fiesta Conference at the Cuneta Astrodome.

"Give it to the big fellow. I guess he was challenged playing against Asi (Taulava) and Cap (Dennis Espino). If he plays that way consistently we’ll be tough to beat," Fernandez said.

Aquino, the 14-year league veteran who also had three assists and one shot block, has not had a 20-point game since scoring 22 points against Red Bull in Game 2 of their 2006-07 Philippine Cup quarterfinal series.

After turning in a season-high 43 points the previous game, import Anthony Johnson had another big night with 29 points and 17 rebounds as the Realtors won two in a row for the first time in the conference.

"Everybody stepped up tonight. But I guess the key was that the players finally realized that we're not as strong as we were a season ago and that we don't stand a chance to win if we don't play defense," Fernandez said.

The Tigers stayed within striking distance off the Realtors for in the first half but their attempt to seize control in the second half fizzled as import James Penny picked up his fifth foul early in the third quarter and had to sit for most part of the second half.

Sta. Lucia shot 44 percent, going 10 of 27 from the 3-point range while recording a season-high 31 assists. The Realtors also capitalized on the Tigers’ 24 turnovers that netted them 29 points.

Ryan Reyes scored 15 points and had eight assists while Kelly Williams added 14 and nine rebounds for the Realtors, who improved to 3-4 (win-loss) record.

Gary David poured in 26 points, Chico Lanete had 16 and seven assists and Penny managed just 15 points – his lowest this conference – on a 6-of-11 shooting from the field as Coca-Cola (4-4) lost its third in a row and fourth in its last five games. (DBC)

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SLR 106, Air21 98

Sta. Lucia Realty was about to do another collapse, but Anthony Johnson would not let it.

With Johnson scoring a season-high and career-high-tying 43 points the Realtors managed to fashion a 106-98 overtime victory over the feisty Air21 Express on 18 April 2010 in the PBA Fiesta Conference at the Araneta Coliseum.

It was a stirring win for Sta. Lucia, which went into the game reeling from three straight losses and seemingly on the verge of another after squandering as much as a 60-36 second-half lead.

Johnson took over as he practically single-handedly picked up his teammates' flagging spirits by scoring all but four of his team's 15 points in the extension, while taking the fight out of the Express.

"I'm just happy AJ stepped up," said SLR coach Boyet Fernandez of Johnson, who also hauled down 13 rebounds and swatted away five shots while going a perfect 11-of-11 from the line.

The lessons learned from the game should serve his team in good stead, Fernandez added.

"Credit to Air21, they came back and even led," he noted of the team that fought back and took an 84-77 lead into the last 5:25 of regulation.

"Nabaligtad nung second half. My guys thought it's already a won ballgame despite the fact I told them we could not take Air21 for granted because they will try to come back and indeed they did."

The win jacked SLR's win-loss record to 2-4, a full game ahead of Air21's 1-5 that dropped it into the cellar in the company of idle Barako Energy Coffee.

Air21 coach Yeng Guiao said his team also learned some things from the game, both good and bad.

"The good side of this, after being behind, bringing the game into overtime and having a chance to win it," Guiao said. "The bad side, we had to be behind by 20-plus points before we started working harder."

Jason Forte had 26 points and 19 rebounds and Mike Cortez added 17 points as they led the big comeback from the deficit that made Guiao almost give up the ghost right at halftime after his team trailed by 36-58.

"After the first half, I thought it was a lost cause already," he admitted. "I just asked the guys to be decent in losing. But they worked harder and put ourselves in a situation where we can win, kaya sayang talaga."

Such thoughts were farthest from Air21’s collective mind when Cortez’s one-handed follow-up of Forte’s missed free throw beat the gameclock and pegged a 91-all count at the end of regulation.

Then Johnson took over after Cortez’s floater gave the Express a 95-93 lead. His sixth triple for the game sparked his seven straight points that made it a 100-95 count.

Forte went coast to coast and finished with an emphatic dunk and canned a charity, but Johnson’s elbow jumper and Ryan Reyes’ acrobatic up-and-under twister made it a safe 104-98 spread, only 2.5 ticks left.

Forte ultimately wound up shooting 4-of-13 from the stripe and Guiao said they will arrive at a decision either Monday or Tuesday on whether to retain him or bring in a replacement for the man who subbed for original import Keena Young.

Free throw shooting is also the bane of Kelly Williams, who missed six of eight charity tries that prevented him from putting up better numbers than 17 points and 14 rebounds.

Reyes was the lone other SLR local in double figures with 15 points, which he added with nine assists and eight rebounds.

Mainly behind Johnson Sta. Lucia made 11 of 26 three-point attempts, nine in the first half which it dominated by stopping Air21’s penetrators and pressuring the Express into making some harried shots.

Johnson already had 21 points at the half and Sta. Lucia used a torrid field shooting to steadily pull away and take the half 58-36.

The Realtors shot 22-of-42 from the floor, including 9-for-14 from beyond the arc, compared to the Express’ 13-of-39.

Air21 actually started the second period 6-0 to claw back within 24-36. Then Johnson drained back-to-back triples, adding to the Realtors’ comfort zone that enabled them to pad their lead to 56-35.

The rout was seemingly well on its way as early as the last three minutes of the first period, when Sta. Lucia used a 13-0 run to break off from a 23-18 count and start the next quarter with an 18-point spread.

Rookie Joshua Urbiztondo started that most telling of runs with a trey and added four more points while Bonbon Custodio added four and Johnson two charities. (NC)

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SLR 89, TnT 102

Talk 'N Text finally had its first back-to-back wins in the 2010 PBA Fiesta Conference.

It was, however, something head coach Chot Reyes wasn't really excited about. Rather, it was the way the Tropang Texters are now slowly coming together as a team.

Macmac Cardona and Ranidel de Ocampo combined for nearly half of Talk 'N Text's output, and Jason Castro came off the bench to spark a decisive first-half breakaway and the Tropang Texters beat Sta. Lucia Realty 102-89 on 11 April 2010 in the league’s first-ever game at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Cardona scored 23 points and De Ocampo had 22 points and 12 rebounds, while Castro shot 5-of-6 from the field and 4-of-4 at the free-throw line for 15 points in the opening half alone as Talk ‘N Text, playing without the injured Ali Peek, picked up its third win as against two losses.

“I think more than the two straight wins was the way we’re playing,” said Reyes. “I like the way we are coming together. They’re getting to know how to play with Shawn (Daniels).”

Daniels saw action for merely 22 minutes because of foul trouble, contributing only six points – fewest for an import this conference -- and seven rebounds. Still, it was not the kind Talk ‘N Text should be upset about.

Good thing Castro was in attack mode.

Castro elevated the Tropang Texters into an offensive level the Realtors couldn't stop. He scored 10 points in the second quarter and helped Talk 'N Text erect the largest margin in the game at 22 points (58-36), before the 2008-09 Philippine Cup champions settled for a 63-43 halftime lead.

That output in the first half was the highest by any team in the conference, and the lead a formidable investment to hold off a blistering rally by Sta. Lucia, which came to within 85-78, in the fourth quarter.

"It was a very courageous stand by Sta. Lucia," said Reyes. "I'’m just glad that we had a big cushion in the first half and able to withstand the foul trouble of Daniels."

Anthony Johnson scored 27 points and pulled down 16 rebounds and Kelly Williams had his breakout game for the season-ending tournament with 20 points and eight rebounds to lead the Realtors even as Gabby Espinas added 12 points.

Already the worst offensive, rebounding, and assisting team, Sta. Lucia further stepped into unfamiliar territory by suffering its worst start under head coach Boyet Fernandez with the Realtors’ fourth defeat in five games.

Fernandez had his erstwhile worst start during the time he became head coach in the 2007-08 Fiesta Conference, when the Realtors lost three of their first four games.

And unless the Realtors change their acts, the record may not be snapped that soon.

"Wala kaming transition defense. We're not executing well. We're not a strong team, but we are a fighting team. We are not a true offensive team, but we are a true defensive team," said Fernandez.

Fernandez even took a shot at the man who the Realtors got in exchange for Joseph Yeo – Bonbon Custodio.

"I'm waiting for him (to play well)," said Fernandez. "I told him that he should be ready every time he comes off the bench.”

Custodio played for only four minutes and only had one statistic – a foul – across his name in the game against Talk 'N Text.

A big factor that went against the Realtors, too, was the early foul trouble of Ryan Reyes. The fearless guard had four fouls in the first half alone and was whistled for his fifth in the third period. (ZM)

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SLR 79, B-Meg 86

The Philippine Cup ruler was off to a triumphant start in the import-laden tourney. Coach Ryan Gregorio and his troops won their first game under the B-MEG Derby Ace banner, topping Sta. Lucia Realty, 86-79, in the 2010 PBA Fiesta Conference at the Cuneta Astrodome on 7 April 2010.

Import Lorenzo Wade played limited minutes due to early fouls but the Derby Ace locals rose to the occasion as the Llamados, formerly the Purefoods TJ Giants, beat out the Realtors in a fierce battle.

"We buckled down on defense. That's still the way we play and even our import is slowly understanding why we're successful," said the Derby Ace mentor.

"The biggest thing is that we understand that we're not the champion in this tournament. The earlier we understand that, the better for us," Gregorio added.

The Llamados play back-to-back games, taking on the Air21 Express on Friday in the same venue.

"We're playing again Friday. What's nice is that we know how to play consecutive games. More important is that we have to win as many games possible while awaiting the return of Kerby Raymundo," said Gregorio.

"Kerby is rehabilitating his injured knee. But for as long as the other guys are stepping up, we have no problem," Gregorio added.

Nino Canaleta did just that against Sta. Lucia with the 6-foot-3 forward pouring in 14 of his 18 points in the final half.

"We kept it close until we missed a string of foul shots at the finish. Those missed foul shots cost us the game," said Sta. Lucia coach Boyet Fernandez.

The Realtors were in hot chase of the Llamados entering the final stretch when they bricked five straight free throws. Overall, Sta. Lucia muffed 17 of 37 charities. The Llamados cashed in on these misses in handing the Realtors a third loss against a lone win.

Despite Wade on the bench, the Llamados got away with a crucial run bridging the last two quarters to open up a 14-point spread at 72-58. But the Realtors never gave up, banking on the gutsy plays of Ryan Reyes, Kelly Williams and Jason Urbiztondo to come back in the thick of things at 73-76. Then came the Realtors' successive missed free throws allowing the Llamados to regain control.

Derby Ace swayed the tide back in its favor on a basket each by Wade, Roger Yap and Canaleta. Wade marked his debut in the local pro league with 20 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and one steal against six turnovers. James Yap, like Canaleta, produced 18 points with Paul Artadi adding 10 points, two rebounds, two steals and one assist. Anthony Johnson led the Realtors with 26 points, nine rebounds and one steal. Johnson had his own crucial misses that hastened the Realtors’ downfall. (SB)

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SLR 77, RoS 84

There was no stopping Rain or Shine in its second outing after being beaten at the finish in its debut two nights earlier.

The Elasto Painters bucked early fouls to key players, pulling off an 84-77 win over the Sta. Lucia Realtors in the 2010 PBA Fiesta Conference at the Ynares Sports Center on 28 March 2010.

Jai Lewis and Sol Mercado delivered the goods as they returned to the floor in the closing minutes, and the Elasto Painters checked a breakdown, notching a first win after bowing to the Talk n Text Tropang Texters Wednesday.

"Today's game showed our character as a team. We pulled through despite our key players sitting down precious minutes due to fouls," said Rain or Shine coach Caloy Garcia.

"We faced scary moments when they started to hit their outside shots, but the boys never lost composure. We did a good job controlling the boards at endgame," Garcia added.

Lewis grabbed rebounds and knocked in free throws while Mercado converted a tough drive and a three-pointer as they personally held off Sta. Lucia’s siege at endgame.

The Realtors failed to complete a comeback from the depth of a 20-point deficit, suffering a second loss in three starts.

Anthony Johnson and his teammates waged a spirited chase in the final half while Lewis, Norwood and JayR Reyes rode the bench in foul-trouble situation.

Jason Urbiztondo and Paolo Mendoza hit from afar, helping Johnson get the Realtors to within one, 69-70, after trailing by 20 at 26-46.

The Realtors engaged the Painters in a battle at crunch time before losing just the same as Bonbon Custodio committed an error then Mendoza misfired a trey in the final minute.

Mercado settled the outcome of the game on a jumper making it 82-77 with time down to 21 seconds.

The burly Fil-foreign guard finished with 19 points, three steals and two assists.

Norwood made back-to-back three-point plays to close their utter domination of the Realtors in the first half at 44-26.

The Elasto Painters pummeled the Realtors from the start, erecting double-digit spreads right in the first quarter.

Norwood and Mercado both started strong, combining for 23 points in the first 24 minutes of play.

For the Realtors, nothing worked in the first half with the team struggling for only 10 in the first period and 16 in the next. (SB)

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SLR 86, Kings 72

Getting an elbow from Ronald Tubid, Anthony Johnson retaliated at the whole Barangay Ginebra team, sparking a key run that carried Sta. Lucia Realty to an emphatic win.

Johnson pumped in back-to-back three-pointers right after being felled by Tubid and the Realtors broke away en route to an 86-72 victory over the Kings on 26 March 2010 in the 2010 PBA Fiesta Conference at the Cuneta Astrodome.

The Realtors nailed their first win after being beaten by the Barako Energy Coffee Masters in the tournament opener last 21 March 2010.

“We came out with great energy tonight, determined to make up for our bad showing in our first game,” said Sta. Lucia coach Boyet Fernandez.

“I’m happy the boys started strong and finished even stronger. Magandang character ang ipinakita nila,” Fernandez added.

Johnson logged 22 points and 13 rebounds while Kelly Williams added 13 points, six rebounds and four assists as they led the SLR charge in foiling Ginebra’s bid for early leadership in the reinforced tourney.

For Ginebra, it didn’t help that import Awvee Storey was far less productive than his debut game.

Storey was able to finish in double figures only after making six points in the last two minutes of play. He made only 13 points but grabbed 22 rebounds.

Williams did a good job defending the Ginebra import.

“He’s strong. I just kept a body on him and did my best to keep him off the glass,” said Williams.

The 2008 MVP winner also had sterling efforts offensively, putting in his share in a 19-7 run SLR unleashed to get an 80-61 spread entering the last three minutes of play.

The Realtors actually seized the early initiatives, taking the half at 44-39 and sitting on a 61-54 cushion after the first three quarters of play.

Ryan Reyes and Nelbert Omolon were two other Realtors who finished in double figures with 14 and 12, respectively.

With the Realtors putting the game beyond reach early, Ginebra coach Jong Uichico used the opportunity to break in new recruit John Ferriols and newly reactivated Junthy Valenzuela. (SB)

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SLR 93, Barako 97

Sammy Monroe came up with the game expected of him. And so did Al Vergara,

With the two coming up big, Barako Coffee managed to waylay Sta. Lucia Realty 97-93 to open up its 2010 Fiesta Conference campaign on a very bright note.

Vergara's two clutch jumpers in the stretch preserved Monroe's beauty of a team-high 39 points and the Coffee Masters' first opening game win in two seasons at the Araneta Coliseum.

"Al has been there before," simply said Barako coach Junel Baculi of the grizzled point guard who played eight games with Purefoods in last season's Fiesta and is coming off a stint with the Singapore Slingers. "He's been in international competitions, with the national team and he's been in clutch situations before".

Those four straight points followed Monroe's tie-breaking charities and completely bailed the Coffee Masters out of a precarious 90-88 lead and into its first opening day win in a conference since the 2008 edition of the tournament.

The initial win is something to crow about, Baculi added, and should only boost the confidence of a vastly retooled franchise that has finished dead last in the last three conferences.

"I told the team to work hard because we want to prove something in this league, that we belong. Fortunately we won," said Baculi, himself a former assistant coach in Burger King, now Air21.

"But it doesn't stop there. We still have 17 (eliminations games) to go and it's such a long long way."

The Coffee Masters wound up making 37 of 69 field shots for 53.6 percent, the team's highest in a game in the last six conferences.

Sta. Lucia trailed by as many as 12 points in the third quarter but managed to make it a tight game, mainly though the efforts of Anthony Johnson, who sizzled for 41 points on top of 13 rebounds. The balik-import almost offset all those with eight turnovers, another game-high.

The Realtors managed to tie the count for the eighth and last time at 88, but simply could not match the Coffee Masters' homeward surge.

Johnson capped his performance with a three-point play that made it 91-94 and a pair of charities that pulled them within 93-95.

Each time, however, Monroe made the charities that kept Barako's head above water.

Leo Najorda was the lone other Barako player in double figures but, like Vergara, Rob Reyes, Rob Wainwright, Jojo Duncil and Yousif Aljamal contributed quality minutes through hustle and defense.

"We have players willing to accept their roles in the system," stressed Baculi, referring to new recruits Vergara, Wainwright and rookie Jerwin Gaco.

Gabby Espinas chipped in 14 points and nine rebounds and Ryan Reyes 13, seven and five assists. But the latter was saddled by foul trouble, as well as Kelly Williams, who only had six points.

Barako Coffee readily served notice of its intent right in the opening minutes, leading by seven in the first period and by six in the second.

Then Monroe, coming off a stint in the Mexican league, fully unloaded his vast repertoire of shots in the third period, making six of nine shots for 17 points in powering Barako to a 67-55 lead. (NC)

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