BY NOLI CORTEZ

DENNIS Espino scattered a gamehigh 29 points, helping Sta. Lucia Realty beat Purefoods 100-88 last night to cop the Smart PBA Philippine Cup at the jampacked Araneta Coliseum.

Kelly Williams had his tournament-high 22nd double-double with 17 points and 15 rebounds and three others scored at least 11 points for Sta. Lucia.

Still, it was undeniable that Espino was the main man responsible for the Realtors bagging their first All-Filipino crown since joining the league in 1993 and first title since the 2001 Governors Cup.

The man who was made the team’s cornerstone 13 years ago was at his fieriest in the fourth quarter by scoring 10 points, eight during a torrid 11-0 run that pushed the Realtors back from a 79-80 deficit and into a 90-80 lead, only 2:45 left.

Before that, he scattered 12 points in the third period to help Sta. Lucia overcome a 44-45 deficit and go into the fourth period with a 71-70 edge.

The feat coming in the last and deciding game of a best-of-seven series earned for the 1995 top draft pick and current Sta. Lucia team captain the nod as the PBA Press Corps’ Finals MVP.

"The Cap really stepped up tonight. He deserves all the praises that come his way," said Realtors coach Boyet Fernandez, who did not win a championship as a player from 1994-2005 and now is titled in only his second conference in the league.

Purefoods, which led by as many as seven points in the first half, had nothing left in the tank by then, finding itself trailing by as many as 82-94, heading into the final 1:32 of play.

Peter June Simon scored 27 points to lead the Giants but it was the sterling defense thrown on star James Yap that spelled the difference.

Yap finished with 21 points and he had 11 in the fourth. But most of those points came when the game was practically decided.