Fired-up Sta. Lucia melts Magnolia, 99-77

The Sta. Lucia Realtors stretched their searing run to a franchise-record seven games and assured themselves of a playoff crack at the second outright semifinals seat after a masterful 99-77 demolition of the Magnolia Beverage Masters in the second Sunday game of the 2007-2008 Smart PBA Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum. Versatile guard-forward Kelly Williams completed a remarkable double-double with 21 points and a career-high 18 rebounds while 1996 Rookie of the Year Marlou Aquino churned out 19 points, seven rebounds and a conference-high tying five blocks. Outstanding rookie Ryan Reyes sustained a hit on the jaw that forced him to sit out the last 11 minutes of the game but the entire Sta. Lucia team took up the cudgels for their fallen comrade and showed no mercy on the badly stunned Magnolia Beverage Masters. Before taking the exit, Reyes had gone six-of-seven from beyond the arc and finished with 19 points, six rebounds and four assists. "The team sympathized with Ryan Reyes. The boys delivered a statement on his exit," Sta. Lucia coach Boyet Fernandez said after the game. Aquino and Williams struck hardest upon Reyes’ ouster, which fueled a mighty closing run that shattered the Beverage Masters’ bid to bits. "He’s playing well. He’s one of the future stars of the league. I hope Ryan is OK," said Fernandez. Taking Reyes’ exit as a rallying point, the Realtors worked even harder, outscoring the Beverage Masters in the final canto, 32-21. Sta. Lucia was ahead by only 11 at 67-56 when Reyes had to call it a night. Williams took a steal and slammed home right at the resumption of play. Aquino later joined the fray, firing 13 points in the quarter, including a rare trey. When the demolition job was over, the Realtors found themselves assured of at least a playoff crack for second place at the close of the double-round eliminations. Sta. Lucia goes for an outright semis entry in its final assignment against Air21. Magnolia moved out of the race for the outright semis seats after suffering an eighth loss against nine wins. The Beverage Masters will now just try to salvage automatic entry into the quarters. "We’ve achieved our original goal, which was just the Magic Five. If ever we make it to the semis outright, it’s just the icing on the cake," said Fernandez. Winning 11 games so far in the eliminations is also a franchise record for Sta. Lucia. The Realtors nailed it while limiting the Beverage Masters to their lowest output in a game this season. Reyes rifled in five triples while Williams had eight points and the same number of rebounds as the Realtors established control early and took a 48-36 bubble at the turn. Williams scored on a two-handed follow-up jam following a miss by Dennis Espino, highlighting a 6-0 closing run that gave Sta. Lucia a 30-14 lead after the first period. The scores: Sta. Lucia (99) – Williams 21, Reyes 19, Aquino 19, Omolon 13, Espino 10, Miranda 8, Yeo 3, Butel 2, Gonzales 2, Mendoza 2, Mamaclay 0, Coronel 0. Magnolia (77) – Peña 17, Seigle 15, Tugade 10, Tenorio 9, Gonzales 9, Hontiveros 6, Wilson 4, Villanueva 4, Racela 2, Villanueva J. 1, Calaguio 0. Quarterscores: 30-14, 48-36, 67-56, 99-77.