JEDDAH, 17 October 2004 — Shell pounced on a Sta. Lucia Realty playing with a hobbled giant and scored their second straight win, an 84-78 decision on Friday night, in the Gran Matador-PBA Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.
Realtors center Marlou Aquino was accidently kicked in the shin by Turbo Charger Willy Mamaril in the second quarter, rendering the 6-foot-9 giant practically useless for the rest of the game.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Shell used some nifty shooting from the perimeter to launch a big run spanning the last two quarters that proved decisive as the Turbo Chargers kept Sta. Lucia winless in three outings. Shell improved to 2-1.
Tony dela Cruz, outshone by Ronald Tubid and Rich Alvarez in Shell’s first two games, carried the bulk of the scoring load for the Turbo Chargers, scoring nine of his game-high 24 points in the last five minutes of the third period.
Dela Cruz’s heroics helped Shell come back from a 44-48 deficit and take a 61-53 lead into the fourth quarter.
The Turbo Chargers, however, were far from done as Marlon Legaspi hit a shotclock-beating 20-footer, Tubid drained a trey and Alvarez canned a left-handed lay-up for their biggest lead at 68-56, 7:45 to go.
Kenneth Duremdes, who led Sta. Lucia with 18 points, tried to carry the fight for the Realtors, scattering six points that made it 65-72.
But he got slapped with a technical foul for a second motion on Tubid and all the team’s hopes seemed to have been quashed when he got benched in the last 1:58 mark and Shell enjoying a 76-65 spread.
It was the first time Shell have won two straight since the 2002 Governor’s Cup and Austria’s first two-win skein since joining the team early in the Fiesta Conference last March.
Those hot hands were hardly visible in the first half, when Paolo Mendoza and Dennis Espino took the cudgels for the Realtors in taking a 21-16 lead they stretched to as much as 32-23 late in the second period.
In the other grame, the Barakos played hard to the finish against the Purefoods Hotdogs, hacking out an emphatic 101-81 victory.
The Barakos, who were led by the 25 points of Lordy Tugade and a career-high 24 from Rico
Villanueva, led by as much as 25 against Purefoods to check their two-game skid and at the same time stop the Hotdogs’ two-game romp.
And the future looks brighter for Red Bull as it welcomes the return of ace point guard Jimwell Torion from a three-game suspension on Wednesday against Alaska. It’s still uncertain whether coach Yeng Guiao will finally insert in his lineup returnee Nelson Asaytono and new acquisition Omanzie Rodriguez.
First Game
Shell 84 — Dela Cruz 24, Tubid 13, Alvarez 11, Mamaril 10, Ferreria 7, Calaguio 6, Bajar 4, Cruz 3, Sta. Maria 2, Legaspi 2, Jackson 2.
Sta. Lucia 78 — Duremdes 18, Espino 18, Mendoza 16, Adriano 7, Aquino 6, Francisco 4, Santos 3, Cuan 2, Omolon 2, Ong 2, Gonzales 0. Quarterscores: 16-21, 36-38, 61-53, 84-78.
Second Game
Red Bull Barako 101 — Tugade 25, Villanueva 24, Harp 4, Baguio 10, Valenzuela 8, Pennisi 8, Meneses 7, Robinson 6, Agapito 2, Lopez 0, Ordonio 0.
Purefoods 81 — Raymundo 21, Limpot 16, Castillo 9, Evangelista 8, Hrabak 7, Yee 6, Simon 5, Artadi 4, Realubit 2, Patrimonio 2, Yap 1, Demape 0. Quarterscores: 21-17, 45-34, 73-58, 101-81.
