Wednesday, October 18, 2006 Espino snares weekly citation as Realtors open with 3 wins
VETERAN Dennis Espino showed his young teammates and rivals that age still hasn’t caught up with him in the pro league as he snared the Player of the Week for the Oct. 9-15 period.
Espino, the acknowledged heart, soul and leader of the Sta. Lucia Realtors, played an explosive offensive and defensive games in the three straight wins by Sta. Lucia, showing the form that made him once the most-sought after rookie in the PBA.
The Angeles City banger played key roles in the past week when the Realtors strung along win after win that propelled them atop the teams standings, an unfamiliar place Sta. Lucia has not occupied for quite some time.
In a 98-95 win over San Miguel Beer last Wednesday, Espino had 10 points and 13 rebounds for his first double-double of the season.
He also had three assists and two blocks, but his most noteworthy input were the two free throws he sank in the last six seconds that helped ice the game after the Beermen had come within 96-95.
Good attitude
Sta. Lucia coach Alfrancis Chua said Espino not only brings in the points and rebounds to the team but also, and most importantly, a good attitude.
“It’s his attitude,” Sta. Lucia coach Alfrancis Chua says of his 32-year-old team skipper. “He’s a winner and he wants his teammates to adopt the same mindset.”
Currently, SLR totes a 3-0 win-loss card and shares the lead with Talk N Text.
The Realtors never had it this good since 2001, when they started their campaign in the Governors Cup with a 6-0 slate and went on to win the title with Damien Owens as their import. (JSV)
