STA. LUCIA IN COMMAND, 2-0
The Sta. Lucia coaching staff showed up wearing green shirts with the word "BELIEVE" emblazoned on it in big, bold letters.
And boy, two games into the 2007-08 Smart PBA Philippine Cup Finals, not a few have turned into real believers.
Sta. Lucia's youth brigade wore down Purefoods with its stamina, agility and tough defense to bulldoze the Giants Sunday, 112-101, for a 2-0 advantage in the best-of-seven championship series.
Kelly Williams put together another double-double effort of 23 points and 11 rebounds in a game where youth made the big difference.
Kerby Raymundo and James Yap – Purefoods' 1-2 punch – came up with 20-point games but couldn't save the Giants from another defeat, visibly tired and worn-out in the crucial stage of the game.
"Again, the players did what they had to do. We played tough defense and kept our composure,” said Sta. Lucia coach Boyet Fernandez.
The Realtors turned the game around in the fourth by opening the period with a 12-2 run that propelled them to a 93-83 advantage.
Williams started the charge with a three-point play, Dennis Espino (15-points, 9 rebounds) scored on a layup and completed a three-point play before Nelbert Omolon (19 points) ended the blitz with back-to-back baskets.
"We may be up 2-0 but nothing is certain in a seven game series. We'll just take it one game at a time. We respect the Purefoods organization and I know they'll make the adjustments in the next game,” said Fernandez.
Game 3 is set at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.
The Giants got a good break in the third quarter when the Realtors went into penalty with still nine minutes left in the period. But they couldn't capitalize, going 13-of-21 from the line and 7-of-18 from the field.
Joseph Yeo had another impressive game, scoring 16 points and Denok Miranda added 14 and six assists while making sure James Yap earns all his points.
Paolo Mendoza also made his presence felt. He scored 10 points that included three consecutive baskets in the first quarter, shattering Purefoods’ zone defense to bring the Realtors back in the game.
James Yap led all scorers with 28 points and cornered 10 rebounds but was visibly spent by the time the game got into the third quarter. He was just 1-of-5 from the field and 7-of-12 from the line in the third period. Raymundo, who finished with 22 points, also struggled in that period and made just one attempt.
"We give credit where credit is due. Sta. Lucia really played so well tonight," said Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio. "We just can't let them score over 100 points a game. We can't win if this continues." (DBC)
The scores:
Sta. Lucia 112- Williams 23, Omolon 19, Yeo 16, Espoino 15, Miranda 14, Mendoza 10, Reyes 6, Daa 5, Gonzales 4, Coronel 0. Aquino 0.
Purefoods 101 – J. Yap 28, Raymundo 22, Simon 21, Evangelista 11, Pingris 6, Castillo 5, Salvador 3, Adducul 3, R. Yap 2, Larong 0, Lanete 0.
Quarters: 28-26; 53-53; 81-81; 112-101.
Source:pba.ph
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