Import, twin towers fuel Realtors run vs Express

Import Nate James and the prolific frontline tandem of Marlou Aquino and Dennis Espino once again unleashed solid games as Sta. Lucia Realty topped FedEx, 77-71, to firm up its hold of the Group A lead in the Samsung PBA Reinforced Conference eliminations at the Makati Coliseum last night.

And there’s another good news for Sta. Lucia fans.

Sta. Lucia top gun Kenneth Duremdes will finally be back in action as the Realtors take on the Talk n Text Phone Pals on Sunday.

"Ang laking bonus ng nakuha namin dahil nagpapanalo kami habang nagpapahinga si Kenneth (Duremdes) to recover from his injury," said coach Alfrancis Chua after his Realtors nailed a fourth win in five starts against the Express.

"Hindi ko ini-expect na makukuha namin ang ganitong record without Kenneth. I just told the boys before the conference started not to think about Kenneth. Kasi kung isipin namin si Kenneth baka hanapin namin sa game ang usual production niya," Chua added.

The Realtors made a followup on their 74-71 win over the San Miguel Beermen last Saturday as they overcame a poor start and completed a come-from-behind win over the Express largely through the exploits of James, Aquino and Espino.

James tallied 27 points and 18 rebounds, Aquino logged 24 points and seven rebounds while Espino put in 11 rebounds and eight points.

Aquino struck hardest in the third quarter, firing 14 in the period to fuel the team’s comeback from a 12-point deficit, 46-34.

And with the Realtors still down by three after the third period, James, Espino and Aquino teamed up in a vicious 14-2 run at the start of the last quarter, paving the way for their trouble-free ride to the finish.

The Express suffered their fourth loss against two wins while playing under interim coach Jojo Villa. Newly-appointed FedEx head coach Boni Garcia is currently in the US attending to his ailing father.

The Express took control in the first three quarters of play but wavered in the payoff quarter, unable to break the Realtors’ two-three zone defense.

"Yun lang ang naging susi, hindi nila na-break ang zone namin," said Chua.