|
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Pals post streak, beat Realtors
The Talk ’N Text Phone Pals took another significant leap to enhance their playoff drive.
John Ferriols and Felix Belano came off the bench to key TNT’s breakaway for a 98-90 victory over the struggling Sta. Lucia Realtors yesterday as the Phone Pals finally had a winning streak in the Gran Matador Brandy Philippine Cup.
“I was kind of scared going into the game because Sta. Lucia is a dangerous team,” said Talk ’N Text head coach Derick Pumaren after the game. “Besides I thought the players might take Sta. Lucia for granted considering the Realtors are down in the standings. In fact, we started out flat but our second unit provided the spark we needed.”
Ferriols scored 16 points as did Mark Cardona and Jimmy Alapag, while Belano added 15 for the Phone Pals, who picked up their third consecutive victory to improve to a 5-4 win-loss record and move up to fourth place in the team standings, staying in the hunt for an outright semifinal berth.
Goal
“That’s our goal (semifinals). But right now I’m not pushing for it. I don’t want the players to play under pressure,” Pumaren said.
The Phone Pals seized control in the second quarter as Ferriols and Belano, playing only his game in the conference after being sideline by a hamstring tear for nearly two months, went on a scoring spree as they doubled the Realtors’ output, 28-14.
Talk ’N Text scored 10 of the first 12 points of the second quarter to pull ahead, 29-24. Ferriols scored 12 points on a 6-for-8 shooting, while Belano went 3-for-3 from the perimeter for nine points in that period as the Phone Pals closed the half clinching a 45-36 lead.
With Dennis Espino and Jimwell Torion taking care of business, Sta. Lucia controlled the opening quarter that ended with the Realtors up, 22-19.
But the Realtors spent the rest of the way catching the moment they lost their rhythm in the next period.
Espino led all scorers with 21 points and had 10 rebounds, Cesar Catli poured 13 points in the fourth quarter and finished with 16 and Norman Gonzales had 11 rebounds for the Realtors (2-7), who have now lost five of their last six games.
Espino, along with fellow stars Kenneth Duremdes and Marlou Aquino rejoined the team for last night’s game but coach Al Chua still used his hurting veterans sparingly apparently to keep up with the Phone Pals’ running game.
Talk ’N Text 98 – Cardona 16, Ferriols 16, Alapag 16, Belano 15, Taulava 10, Carey 9, Miller 9, Juinio 5, Pablo 2, Avenido 0. Sta. Lucia 90 – Espino 21, Catli 16, Omolon 12, Gonzales 10, Torion 9, Mendoza 7, Calimag 6, Tolomia 4, Cabagnot 3, Duremdes 2, Agapito 0, Aquino 0. Quarterscores: 19-22, 47-36, 71-59, 98-90. (PBA media bureau)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (April 22, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
|
[return to top]
[home]
[network page]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
SUPERBALITA
WEEKEND
|
