MANILA — Sta. Lucia’s run of firsts in the Philippine Cup continues.
The Realtors last night became the first finalists after stopping Alaska dead in its tracks, 92-84, for the franchise’s first trip to a title series in seven years and the team’s first real crack at an all-Filipino crown.
Playing in a Game 7 for the first time in their existence, the Realtors carried themselves with the poise of veterans and went on to deal the Aces a rough beating before a crowd of close to 16,000 at the Araneta Coliseum.
Sta. Lucia led by 20 points at one time in the second quarter, using a 20-8 start to flaunt control which the Realtors never really relinquished the rest of the night.
“We will just have to enjoy (this win) tonight and prepare ourselves to whomever we will play against,” said Sta. Lucia’s Boyet Fernandez, never a champion player in his years as a guard with the Realtors, Purefoods and Alaska.
But under his guidance, in just his second full tournament, Sta. Lucia made the semifinals automatically for the first time and won a franchise-best eight straight games in the eliminations.
“I just hope that our accomplishment of these firsts culminates with us winning this tournament for the first time,” Fernandez, who was not a member of the 2001 Sta. Lucia team that won the Governors Cup, added.
In eliminating a team with so much all-Filipino history, the Realtors will gun for their first such title against a squad which has the richest tradition in this tournament.
Purefoods, getting 28 points from James Yap and 18 points and 14 boards from Marc Pingris, scuttled hard-fighting Red Bull, 83-71, in the second KO game that was much-applauded later.
“Right now, we are right on track because we are a solid team,” said Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio, who will try to win his second all-Filipino and the fifth AFC crown for the franchise.
The Tender Juicy Giants also used a hot start to repel the Barako, which remained without a championship in this tournament since joining the league in 2000 as an expansion franchise.
Kerby Raymundo scored 16 points to help Yap and Pingris, while the Barako slumped after getting only two players in twin digits - Junthy Valenzuela with 19 and Francis Adriano with 13.
The best-of-seven title series starts Friday and it would be a classic match-up between one of the strongest offensive teams in the league, Purefoods, against the toughest defending side in the lot in the Realtors.
Rookie Ryan Reyes of Sta. Lucia had his finest moment in the series, shooting 21 points after coming into the contest with a 5.8-point per game average.
His three-pointer with 28.6 seconds remaining sealed the win for the Realtors.
Dennis Espino, one of three remaining members of that 2001 squad, scored six of his 17 points inside that 20-8 run and finished with 17 for the contest aside from seven rebounds and three assists.
Kelly Williams was also great, scattering 19 points and grabbing a night-high 15 boards. He scored six in the fourth quarter, all key points that came inside the final five minutes which helped scuttle mild Alaska comebacks.
“I have to give Sta. Lucia credit,” losing coach Tim Cone said later. “They deserve it, they really played well. They were tough and very hungry.”
As Game 1 of the championship series looms, for the 22nd straight year, no team was able to repeat as all-Filipino champion following the exit of Barangay Ginebra in the wildcard phase.
Great Taste was the last team to successfully defend the all-Filipino, doing it in 1985.
Alaska, the third seed after the elimination round, dug itself a deep hole in the second period, committing 12 total turnovers to trail by as many as 61-41.
