Damien a good omen

Damien Owens could really be the man for Sta. Lucia Realty.

With Owens leading the charge, the Realtors scored a third straight win with a 78-69 drubbing of the Shell Turbochargers last night at the Philsports Arena, sending Sta. Lucia into the threshold of the Magic Four of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.

The hard-working Owens dished out another impressive performance as he led the Realtors to the victory that enhanced their bid for a twice-to-beat edge in the quarterfinals. He had 26 points.

Coach Norman Black was all praises for Owens, the former West Virginia University gunner whom he felt was instrumental in their big turnaround from a scrambling 1-3 start in the tournament.

Black also said their victory over Shell was crucial because it primed them up for their big game against Red Bull Sunday.

"We’ve made it three-in-a-row and we’re now looking forward to Red Bull Sunday. That will be a big game for us. I think we have to beat them if we’re to make it to the Magic Four," said Black.

While firming up their place in the upper half of the chart, the Realtors further compounded the Turbochargers embattled bid as they took their sixth loss in seven outings.

Staying winless in four weeks, the Turbochargers must sweep their last two games against the Alaska Aces and the Barangay Ginebra Kings to at least gain a shot at the quarterfinal round.