MANILA, 14 January 2007 — Labeled as Sta. Lucia’s savior, Kelly Williams couldn’t have picked a better time, a better setting, to justify that tag.
Williams scored a career-high 35 points highlighted by seven in overtime on Friday night that led the Realtors to a 121-118 overtime victory over Air21 and into the quarterfinals of the PBA Philippine Cup.
The 6-foot-7 Detroit native, born to a Filipina mother, picked up from where two veterans — literally — left of in regulation, propelling the Realtors past the Express for a best-of-five match-up with a well-rested Red Bull side. Marlou Aquino and Kenneth Duremdes, the veterans in the team, left the floor in two separate occasions because of injuries, but not after giving heroic performances that allowed Sta. Lucia to take control of the contest. Aquino finished with 26 points and three blocks, his offensive output the biggest in close to eight months after shooting 27, ironically, also against the Express, in a 110-106 loss in May last year.
He limped out of the floor after getting entangled with Air21 rookie Arwind Santos and picking up his last foul in the process.
Duremdes, meanwhile, scattered 12 points coming off the bench, playing brilliantly despite a bruised shin. He failed to finish regulation after dislocating his left pinky.
And there was Dennis Espino, the team’s acknowledged leader and skipper, who played in borrowed time because of a bad back. He turned in quality minutes and returned to duty when Aquino fouled out.
“We’ve been through a lot this conference,” coach Alfrancis Chua said.
The Realtors have not made the quarterfinals in each of the last six conferences, and Williams had a big hand in snapping that drought for the team that made him the first overall pick in the Draft. Sta. Lucia closed out with a 6-0 spurt inside the final 50 seconds, with Williams scoring the first four before breaking up a critical Air21 offensive on the other end with a steal off Arwind Santos. Williams also grabbed 10 rebounds to chalk up his 11th double-double of the tournament, tying Barangay Ginebra’s Rudy Hatfield for the most in the tournament.
Santos, the second overall pick who like Williams is being expected to carry his team, netted 26 points and had 11 boards. But the Express fell short in winning for the fourth straight time, their youth and inexperience telling heavily when the game was on the line. Sta. Lucia actually blew a 16-point lead in the third period and a commanding 15-point advantage with 6:32 left in regulation after the Express got their running game going and forged extension at 108 after five straight charities in the final 35.4. Santos hit the three free throws off that final foul by Aquino and Gary David nailed another two in the next Air21 offensive for the tie.
