Sta. Lucia eager to defend PBA crown

MANILA, Philippines – The Sta. Lucia Realtors came back from a week-long training in the United States, eager to defend their Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup title. The team held an eight-day camp at Boston and New Hampshire to improve the Realtors’ conditioning and individual skills. The Realtors arrived on Thursday making the team miss the league’s ongoing pre-season tournament. Last year, Sta. Lucia’s big men Marlou Aquino, Dennis Espino, Kelly Williams, Nelbert Omolon and guards Ryan Reyes and Dennis Miranda also trained for a month in Boston under Kevin Barbosa prior to the start of the 2007-08 season. The US trip would later be credited by coach Boyet Fernandez and long-time team manager Buddy Encarnado for the team’s first ever title in the last six years when it beat the Purefoods Giants in seven grueling games for the All-Filipino championship. – GMANews.TV