Realtors rough up Kings, Caguioa

Sta. Lucia used as a rallying point a scathing remark made by Mark Caguioa on Dennis Espino in their previous game, playing big even in the absence of ace slotman Marlou Aquino as the Realtors got back at the Barangay Ginebra Kings, 91-81, in the Gran Matador PBA Fiesta Cup at the Yñares Center in Antipolo last night.

"He (Caguioa) said it should be a game of skills. We took it personally and showed him the skills, eh di nawala siya," said Sta. Lucia coach Alfrancis Chua, adding they put a concerted effort to give the Ginebra ace scorer a tough evening.

Firing a personal season-high 40 points the last time, Caguioa was limited to 11 on 5-of-14 shooting from the field this time.

Also rallying behind an injured Aquino, out with a fractured left hand and the death of assistant coach Adonis Tierra’s mother, the Realtors dished out their best game thus far in the tourney, leading by as many as 23 points before completing their third straight win and their fourth in 10 starts.

Curiously, the Sta. Lucia reserves engineered the team’s breakaway in the second quarter with Espino and Kenneth Duremdes taking over the chore as the Kings threatened to wage a rally in the fourth period.

"Siguro hindi nila na-scout ang second stringers namin kaya sila naguluhan. Actually ako naguluhan din," said Chua in jest.

But Gilbert Demape, Paeng Santos, Chester Tolomia and Ricky Calimag did come up with highly improbable performances, exploding in the second quarter as Sta. Lucia outscored Ginebra, 38-14, to carry a 53-33 spread over into the final half.

Demape paced the Realtors with 15 points with Santos adding 13, Calimag a career-high 11 points and Tolomia nine.

With Oliver Agapito firing a basket, Sta. Lucia drew a total of 49 points from the bench as against Ginebra’s nine.

"Our second stringers stepped up in the absence of Marlou. They won the game for us," said Espino although he defused a searing Ginebra rally by making eight of his 13 points in the fourth quarter.

After the Kings drew within seven, 70-77, Espino took the cudgels for Sta. Lucia, firing seven straight points with two baskets against Eric Menk.