MANILA, 5 March 2007 — James Penny was good as advertised — again.

And Red Bull got its defense of the PBA Fiesta Cup going on a smashing note, even if the Barako were one big man short.

Red Bull seized control in the second half and posted a relatively easy 98-88 victory over an undermanned Purefoods side last night after Penny scored 23 points and did most of the things needed at the Cuneta Astrodome.

Anthony Johnson of Coca-Cola was another reinforcement that debuted with class, shooting 29 points earlier to help the Tigers scuttle stubborn newcomer Welcoat, 81-79.

Red Bull was without national team member Mick Pennisi, a vital piece of the squad whose absence, coach Yeng Guiao said, could prove pivotal in the long run in the team’s quest to repeat here.

“I kept looking at my bench and kept trying to find Mick,” Guiao later said. “We have to get used to playing without him and we have to put it in our minds that he won’t be joining us for the tournament.”

Pennisi was one of 12 stars lent by the PBA to the National Five, which will do battle in two important international tournaments this year as the Philippines tries to make it back to the Olympics for the first time since 1972.

“James (Penny) did a lot of the intangibles for us out there,” Guiao explained.

“He was rebounding, scoring, blocking shots and intimidating everyone (from Purefoods). That says a lot of how great a player he is.

“And I expect him to get even better as the tournament wears on,” Guiao said of Penny, who also finished with 13 rebounds, four assists, two steals and four blocks.

Purefoods was also without Kerby Raymundo and two injured mainstays in Jun Limpot and Marc Pingris. And what made life tougher for the Tender Juicy Giants was that no local after James Yap stepped up. Yap led the Giants with 28 points despite troubles in his marriage to actress and TV host Kris Aquino, and import fill-in Jesse King backed him up with 24 despite being saddled with fouls as early as the first half.

King gave a good account of himself despite playing on borrowed time, as his replacement, Marquin Chandler, the Best Import last year, watched from the stands with an MCL tear.

Chandler won’t be available for at least the next two weeks.

And while Penny, King and Johnson played as expected, the same could not be said of Charles Clark of Welcoat.

Playing as the lead import, Clark was held to just three points in the first half before finishing with 16 and six rebounds, and those numbers were not enough to sustain a spirited charge by the Dragons, who erased an 18-point first half deficit.

Center Jay-R Reyes, a 6-foot-6 rookie out of the University of the Philippines , led the Dragons with 25 points, his layup with 6:22 left actually giving Welcoat its only lead of the contest, 65-64, before the Tigers regrouped.

Johnson, who has had stints in Chile, Finland, Mexico and most recently in Sweden, tossed in 12 of his total in the final quarter, rebounding somewhat after slightly losing focus in the third and going scoreless.

“We saw a glimpse of his brilliance,” Favis said of his reed-thin import. “If he can stay away from fouls and play a little better defense, I think he’ll be a hell of an import.”

Measured to be just a shade above 6-feet-5 but possessing tremendous spring, Johnson also collared 12 rebounds and issued three assists in a fine debut.

Alex Compton, the former MBA star who was allowed into the Welcoat lineup as a second import, struggled in his PBA debut, finishing with 12 markers. He later said that he is just in 60-65% in shape and hopes to play a lot better in the coming games.