The Red Bull Barakos took sole possession of the leadership after a masterful 105-78 triumph over the Sta. Lucia Realtors in the PBA Fiesta Cup at the Araneta Coliseum yesterday.
Coming off a 102-95 loss to Magnolia, Red Bull ripped the game wide open in the second quarter and easily bagged its sixth win in eight games.
The Barakos just took an 18-16 lead after 12 minutes of play but went to work in the second, outscoring the Realtors, 24-11, for a 42-27 halftime lead.
Red Bull continued to pound Sta. Lucia in the third and brought a 72-50 advantage going into the final quarter.
Sta. Lucia rallied within 17 early in the fourth, 56-73, but Red Bull staged a crippling 16-3 tear to erect a whopping 30-point bubble, 89-59, with only 5:33 to go.
It was a dull game until Adam Parada and Wesley Wilson went against each other in the final 3:45 that somehow energized the silent crowd.
Wilson was called for a flagrant foul when he bumped Warren Ybanez hard while trying to cross the ball from the halfcourt.
Reacting to the foul, Parada shoved Wilson from behind and the former countered by throwing his right elbow, hitting the former in the face.
The two were called for fighting fouls and was thrown out from the playing court.
Parada went out with 17 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks, while Wilson was good for 19 markers, 14 boards and three rejections.
BOX SCORES
RED BULL (105)- Najorda 19, Parada 17, Baguio 16, Cruz 12, Alvarez 8, Robinson 7, Hrabak 6, Duncil 6, Pennisi 6, Sharma 4, Ybanez 4.
STA. LUCIA (78)- Omolon 20, Wilson 19, Williams 12, Miranda 8, Aquino 7, Daa 5, Yeo 5, Mendoza 2.
QUARTERSCORES: 18-14, 42-25, 72-50, 105-78. /Correspont Calvin Cordova
