Dragons fly out of PBA playoffs

The Welcoat Dragons are now in search of imports for the next conference while the rest of the teams are just bracing for the Smart PBA Philippine Cup playoffs.

Welcoat is looking for a pair of reinforcements who could really give the team the needed boost following yet another poor showing in the pro league.

The elimination round of the All-Filipino tourney won’t be over until Jan. 16 but the Dragons are already out of contention for the playoffs with only three wins in 16 games.

It has all been struggle for Welcoat thus far in the PBA with only a total of 10 wins to show since joining the pro last season.

“We need to find imports who could really help us. Masyado ng disappointed ang management namin,” said coach Leo Austria after a 97-103 loss to Sta. Lucia Friday that eventually eased the Dragons out of the race for the next round.

Being the last placer in the All-Filipino, Welcoat will be allowed to field two imports in the Fiesta Cup with one standing 6-foot-6 or below and the other not above 6-foot-1. Assistant coach Alex Compton is being considered as the team’s small import.

“If we can’t find the import we’re looking for, we may tap Alex. He’s still in shape,” said Austria of Compton, a Cornell U product who has reinforced the team in the last Fiesta Cup.

Welcoat has two more games – against Air21 and Magnolia – in the ongoing tourney. But the Dragons can no longer salvage a slot in the wildcard plays even if they sweep the Express and the Beverage Masters.

“I must admit that we’re bothered. We had never experienced this thing in the PBL,” said team owner Raymund Yu.

Though already out, Yu, however, still intends to give full support to his team to their very last game in the All-Filipino.

“We’ll still be there. May halo lang rin talagang malas yun conference namin. We’re hounded by injuries all throughout. Imagine, Joe Devance sustaining injury in the last five minutes of our practice on the eve of our first game,” said Yu, recalling the injury that sidelined the top draft pick in their first games in the tourney.

Devance, a University of Texas-El Paso alumnus, missed their last game against Sta. Lucia Friday as he left for the United States for his wedding.

Also playing minus the injured Froilan Baguion, the Dragons squandered a second-quarter 18-point bulge as they reeled to an eighth straight defeat and their 13th overall.

The league takes a weeklong break, resuming Friday at the Astrodome with a twinbill pitting Talk n Text against Alaska Milk at 4:50 p.m. then Red Bull versus Barangay Ginebra at 7:20 p.m.

Purefoods at 11-4 and Sta. Lucia at 10-6 lead the race for the two outright semifinals seats.

Red Bull (9-6), Alaska (9-7), Magnolia (9-7) and Talk n Text (8-7) are the other teams remaining in contention for the top two at the close of the double-round elims.

Ginebra (7-9) and Coca-Cola (6-9) are hoping to salvage at least the fifth slot for an automatic entry into the quarterfinals.