Realtors still on a roll

Sta. Lucia Realty showed no ill effects of a long layoff, picking up from where it left off 11 days ago as it ripped Alaska Milk, 74-61, last night in the resumption of the Samsung PBA Commissioner’s Cup elims at the Philsports Arena.

The Realtors even played with so much zest and energy, putting the game away from the Aces in the final quarter and seizing solo third place in the leaderboard with their fourth win against two defeats.

"I’m very happy with our defense. Chris Clay is helping us a lot improve our defense. Defense will be our concentration this conference. We’ll try to win games on defense," said coach Norman Black as his Realtors made it three in a row with Clay in tow.

Clay actually played half-healthy with a sore back, but put in significant contributions as the Realtors dealt the Aces a fourth straight loss in their heads-on duel dating back to last year’s Governors Cup.

The Aces suffered their second straight loss following a 76-78 heart-breaker against Shell last July 13 and fell to fifth place in a tie with San Miguel Beer and the Turbo Chargers at 3-3.

Sta. Lucia and Alaska figured in a close match in the first half that neither led by more than seven points.

The Realtors built three seven-point margins at 21-14, 23-16 and 26-19, early in the second quarter but the Aces pulled ahead, 35-34, before the first half ended.

Meanwhile, Talk ’N Text, alarmed with its skid of three losses in its last four games, decided to sign up a new import in Pete Mickeal, replacing Danny Johnson.

A former University of Cincinnati standout picked 58th overall by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2000 NBA Draft, Mickeal makes his debut for Talk ’N Text Sunday when the Phone Pals clash with the Red Bull Thunder at the Araneta Coliseum.

Teammates of former Ginebra import Ryan Fletcher and now NBA mainstay Kenyon Martin at Cincinnati, Mickeal played for the Rockford Lightning in the CBA, the Las Vegas Silver Bandits in the IBL and the Tampa Bay Thunder Dawgs and the Kansas City Knights in the ABA.