1995 Sta. Lucia Realtors season

The 1995 Sta. Lucia Realtors season was the third season of the franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

1995 Sta. Lucia Realtors season
Head coach	Nat Canson
All Filipino Cup results
Record	11–9 (.550)
Place	3rd
Playoff finish	Semifinals
Commissioner's Cup results
Record	12–8 (.600)
Place	3rd
Playoff finish	Semifinals
Governor's Cup results
Record	4–6 (.400)
Place	6th
Playoff finish	N/A
Sta. Lucia Realtors seasons

Off-season transactions

TRANSACTIONS
Dennis Espino ^Drafted Rookie, Number 1 overall pick
Jose Francisco ^Drafted Rookie
Chris Jackson ^Acquired the 4th overall pick from Purefoods when they traded Jack Tanuan
Ferdinand Pastor ^Drafted Rookie
Johnedel Cardel ^Acquired from Alaska
Ludovico Valenciano ^Acquired from Pepsi Mega

Occurrences

During the off-season, the Sta.Lucia Realtors match the P 28.8 million, five-year offer sheet by Pepsi Mega to Jun Limpot, making the former La Salle Green Archer the highest paid local player in the PBA.

Sta.Lucia was fined by the PBA office for the below-par showing of the team in the last day of the eliminations of the All-Filipino Cup on April 7 wherein the Realtors lost to Alaska Milkmen which ousted three other teams hoping to create a four-way tie for the fifth and last semifinals berth had Sta.Lucia won. [1] [2]

Summary

On March 24, top draft pick Dennis Espino finally debut in leading the Realtors to a 95–91 win over San Miguel in the out-of-town game in Tuguegarao. Sta.Lucia enters the semifinal round with five wins and five losses, the Realtors were a win away from earning a finals playoff berth via win five games in the semifinals but they lost to Purefoods, 90–92, in their last game on April 30 and were booted out from the finals race. Sta.Lucia placed third with a two-game sweep over Purefoods in their best-of-three series.

After original choice Clifford Reed was sent home and never got a chance to play in the Commissioners Cup, Antoine Davison came as a late replacement and played poorly, scoring only 14 points despite the Realtors winning over Alaska in overtime, 101–97, in their first game on June 11, Davison lasted just one game and was replaced by Sam Mack, who also played only one game and left, leaving the Realtors importless in their next two games. [3] Sta.Lucia finally got the right import in Frederick Pea and since his arrival, the Realtors won six straight games to finish second with eight wins and two losses, a game behind Sunkist after the eliminations. Sta.Lucia were tied with Alaska at 10 wins and five loss after the quarterfinal round. Both teams were seeded number two and three and will play against each other in the best-of-five semifinals. The Realtors were swept in three games by the Milkmen. Sta.Lucia placed third with another two-game sweep over Purefoods in their series for third place.

Coach Nat Canson brought in former North Carolina State's Kelsey Weems as their import but Weems left even before the Governors Cup started after he figured in a spat with Gerald Esplana. Coming in was Robert Francis Allen, a Canadian national player whose stint in the PBA was his first overseas assignment. The Realtors were four wins and five losses going into their last game in the eliminations on November 10, hoping to create at least a tie for the fifth semifinals berth if San Miguel losses in the second game of the doubleheader, but Sta.Lucia were upset and eliminated by also-ran Pepsi Mega, 91–97, with Robert Allen skipping the game due to an injury. [4]

Roster

Pos. No. Player School F 3 Chris Jackson San Bernardino G 8 Roberto Jabar South Western University F 9 Ludovico Valenciano University of Saint La Salle G 10 Boyet Fernandez University of San Agustin F 11 Ferdinand Pastor Cebu Doctors College G 12 Jose Francisco FEU F 13 Johnedel Cardel De La Salle G 14 Gerald Esplana FEU C 15 Expedito Falcasantos Cebu Central Colleges F 16 Dennis Espino UST F 27 Melchor Teves San Sebastian F 57 Romeo Dela Rosa South Western University F 62 Alejandro De Guzman FEU C 72 Jun Limpot De La Salle F 2 Antoine Davison (C) Pfeiffer College F 23 Sam Mack (C) University of Houston F 5 Frederick Pea (C) University of South Florida G 44 Robert Allen (G) University of Texas-Pan American Position Name/s Head coach:  Nat Canson Assistants: Ricardo Cui / Adonis Tierra (C) - Commissioner's Cup import, (G) - Governor's Cup import '

_{Team Manager: Buddy Encarnado}

References

1. "Alaska sacks SLR, seals semifinal slate". Manila Standard.
2. "Sta.Lucia to appeal fine". Manila Standard.
3. "Sta.Lucia, San Miguel prevail to crowd Sunkist on top". Manila Standard.
4. "Pepsi clears way for Beermen". Manila Standard.