MANILA, 10 March 2007 — Other than his last name and based on his initial game, there was nothing that would suggest Vidal Massiah to be San Miguel’s savior.

And from the looks of it, even after just two games, James Penny of Red Bull will be the import every team would love to have in the PBA Fiesta Cup.

Penny scored 23 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and swatted away two enemy attempts in leading the Barako to a 102-84 demolition of the Beermen that allowed Red Bulll to keep a share of the elimination round lead at the Cuneta Astrodome.

Red Bull started out strong and was in cruise control the rest of the way, establishing double digit leads early against a San Miguel side that missed a total of four key players — two to the national team and the same number to injuries. Carlo Sharma, who filled in brilliantly for the injured Enrico Villanueva, tossed in 18 points for Red Bull, which tied Coca-Cola on top at 2-0 after not being tested for the second straight night.

“James (Penny) will be the yardstick to whom all imports will be measured (in this tournament),” Red Bull coach Yeng Guiao proudly proclaimed. “He just makes everyone in this team better because he doesn’t look to shoot the ball when he has it.

“And that will definitely make for better team chemistry and the team better overall.” Massiah, who is playing in an interim capacity until San Miguel finds a suitable replacement for original import pick Kelly Whitney, fouled out after only 11 points in 28 minutes. He did have 10 rebounds, but clearly lacked the knack to score.

Dorian Pena was the high-point man for the Beermen, who were coached by Biboy Ravanes with Chot Reyes also on loan to the National team. Pena finished with 17 points and 15 board, while rookie point guard LA Tenorio backed him up with 15.

While the defending champion Barako had it rosy practically the entire night, the Tigers needed to overhaul several imposing leads before posting a 98-81 victory over undermanned Purefoods in the first game.

Anthony Johnson scored 33 points and John Arigo fired 13 of his 20 in the final period that allowed the Tigers to finish with conviction and win for the second straight night. “I got to them (Tigers) hard during the halftime break,” coach Binky Favis said. “I told the players that we cannot afford to be inconsistent, not even for two minutes, because it can mean a lot.” Purefoods, after starting out with a 14-0 lead and taking a 31-10 advantage into the second quarter, slumped to its second straight loss, its tremendously huge vacuum in manpower showing for yet another night.

Marc Pingris and Jun Limpot, big men who were instrumental in the past for the Tender Juicy Giants, continued to sit it out because of foot injuries. A third big man, cornerstone Kerby Raymundo, will be out for the rest of the tournament after being drafted into the RP Team.

Jesse King, who is subbing for the injured Marquin Chandler for the Giants, scored 18 points in the first period when Purefoods broke away. But the burly import could find his range in the final two periods, his 10 points in the second half rendered meaningless. “I think he (King) got tired by himself after scoring all those points in the first quarter,” said Favis jokingly in Filipino. “I don’t think our defense had anything to do with that anymore.”

William Antonio was another Tiger who shone, shooting 19 markers with 15 coming in the final two periods when Coca-Cola rallied like crazy.

A 6-foot-3 off guard who is one of the more dependable clutch shooters in the league, Antonio nailed his third and last three-pointer with 1:25 to go that iced the game for the Tigers, 91-79.

Purefoods’ guns went silent in the stretch for the second straight game as the Giants managed to score just two points in the final 4:42, when a King layup knotted the game for the last time at 79.

Like in Purefoods’ 88-98 loss to the Barako in the inaugurals, there were only two players in the team with twin digits in points, James Yap being the other with 19 last night.

Joseph Yeo, the flamboyant Coca-Cola rookie out of La Salle, hit a triple with 5:29 left in the third quarter for the first deadlock of the contest, which actually completed the Tigers’ fightback from the last of those 21-point deficits.

And the Tigers stuck their claws in the throats of the Giants after that, engaging Purefoods in crucial exchanges before breaking away for good with a 20-6 run capped by an Arigo three-pointer for that 91-79 lead with 85 seconds left on the clock.