Coke chokes Sta. Lucia with pressing defense

LUCENA – Using pressing defense as a course of last resort while facing imminent danger, Coca-Cola squeezed through, unsettling Sta. Lucia Realty at the finish to grab a 95-93 win in their Samsung PBA Reinforced Conference road game at the Quezon Convention Center here last night.

The Tigers forced the Realtors to a number of errors on their defensive ploy, overturning a 77-85 deficit entering the last three minutes of play for their seventh win against a single defeat.

Curiously, the Realtors remained well entrenched atop the heap in Group A with a 4-3 win-loss card. They still enjoy a game and a half lead over the second-running FedEx squad (3-5).

At 7-1, the Tigers are only a game in front of the Talk n Text Phone Pals (6-2) in Group B. Red Bull Barako is not far behind at 5-2 while Ginebra, which also sports a 4-3 card like FedEx, is good only for fourth in Group B.

A series of defensive stoppages had Coca-Cola surging ahead to stay at 89-88 with 1:11 left in the clock.

Down by three at 91-88, the Realtors had a chance to force overtime but Kenneth Duremdes blew it on a missed three-point attempt with 12 ticks left.

Rudy Hatfield settled the outcome of the game at 93-88 on a desperation foul by Marlou Aquino in the ensuing play.

The Realtors sorely missed the services of injured point guard Paolo Mendoza as they encountered the Coca-Cola press in the homestretch.

Even Sta. Lucia import Nate James committed an error, hurling a weak kick-out pass to Chito Victolero stolen by Johnny Abarrientos for a breakaway layup that had the Tigers seizing the lead at 87-86.

Tim McClary and Abarrientos shone the brightest among the Tigers with the former piling up 23 points and 17 rebounds and the latter 11 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Meanwhile, commissioner Noli Eala summoned Lordy Tugade and Mark Caguioa to appear in his office Tuesday for figuring in a fight in the Red Bull Barako-Barangay Ginebra match Saturday. The two players are likely to draw fine.

The fight started after Caguioa dug an elbow on Tugade’s chest, sending the Barako forward to the floor midway through the final quarter. Picking himself up, Tugade then swung his right arm on Caguioa who hit back by throwing the ball on his rival’s face.

Timely intervention by the proverbial cooler heads stopped the commotion, and the Thunder went on to complete an 85-80 in the highly physical and emotional contest.

It’s Talk n Text versus San Miguel Beer and Alaska Milk against Shell at the resumption of action today at the Astrodome.

In the Ginebra-Purefoods King of the Court one-on-one competition, Red Bull Barako flamboyant guard Willie Miller takes on Purefoods dead shot Noy Castillo in another first-round tussle in the below 6-4 category.