Cabagnot pulls SLR out of slump

Rookie Alex Cabagnot ably tended the backcourt for 34 minutes with starting guard Paolo Mendoza sidelined by injury and hit a crucial three-pointer down the stretch as Sta. Lucia checked its five-game slump in the San Mig Coffee PBA Fiesta Cup with an 85-82 win over San Miguel Beer at the Araneta Coliseum last night.

Cabagnot shattered an 84-all deadlock with his jaw-dropping triple with 29.2 seconds left in the clock and the Realtors escaped with the win on resolute defense in the closing seconds.

"I just felt we would get the lead. And finally the ball bounced for us," said Cabagnot as they stopped their skid and avoided sliding all the way down the cellar in the Xtreme Magic Sing-backed tourney.

"That’s a big win. Otherwise, we would become the last placer," said coach Alfrancis Chua whose troops notched a third win in nine outings.

San Miguel remained the cellar-dweller with a 1-6 win-loss record.

Omar Weaver had a decent showing with 20 points, nine rebounds, four blocks and two assists in what ironically became his farewell performance with the Realtors. Weaver will be replaced by former Fairmont State standout Dewayne Richardson as the Realtors take on the Talk n Text Phone Pals in a road game in Zamboanga Saturday.

Marlou Aquino missed crucial shots at crunch time but still finished with a personal conference high of 23 points that went with five rebounds, four blocks and one assist.

Though leading all scorers, Aquino’s presence was best felt when he put up tough defensive stands on two potential game-tying drives by Kwan Johnson in the closing seconds.

Johnson, a veteran PBA import who took over from Rico Hill, eluded defender Nelbert Omolon on both occasions only to run into the towering defense of Aquino at the paint.

Even Cabagnot thought Aquino was their biggest hero despite hitting the deciding basket.

Falling behind by three on Cabagnot’s triple, the Beermen gained a chance to equalize on a foul-away-from-play infraction called by the referees on Omolon with 29.2 ticks left to play.

Johnson converted the charity and, at the resumption of play, took matters into his hands by driving hard to the basket to no avail.

"He’s just arrived kaya siguro medyo kinapos. Ang instruction ko talagang i-bump ng i-bump dahil alam ko hindi pa kundisyon," said Chua on their defensive ploy against the new San Miguel import.

Johnson, who played with Sta. Lucia in his first tour of duty in the local pro league in 1999, struggled for only 15 points and 11 rebounds.