James Yap was an instant hit even before tip-off on his homecoming game.

And although it took a while for him to heat up, his second-half explosion, not only sent Purefoods to a PBA-leading 11 th victory, but also gave his fellow Negrenses something to smile about Saturday night.

A sellout crowd at the West Negros College Gym roared in delight as Yap displayed the vast array of weapons in his offensive arsenal on his way to a game-high 25 points in Purefoods' 114-92 shellacking of the Air 21 Express.

Shrieks and cheers greeted Yap 's three triples and seven field goals that came mostly in the second half, where the Escalante-born hotshot pumped in 20 points.

As each Yap basket plopped in, a streamer with the words “James Yap, we love you,” emblazoned on it fluttered on a section of the upper box.

As if to underscore their affection, after the game, fans took pictures of Yap , sought his autograph, though he was already on the bus carrying the Purefoods team.

Yap gladly obliged. More than his appreciation to fans, though, it was his skills on the court that mattered for Purefoods.

He spearheaded a 35-17 turnaround in third quarter to turn an erstwhile close game into a rout.

And while Yap rested, Purefoods continued to burn the Express with Mark Pingris' thunderous two-handed jam late in the third period, punctuating the victory that put the Giants' just two wins away from claiming a free ride to the Final Four.

Air 21 actually started strong with Homer Se scoring 12 of his 18 points in the first period for a 24-21 lead. Ranidel Ocampo had the crowd roaring as he stuffed a one-handed jam early on, before Purefoods' aggressive defensive took over and limited the Express to just 17 in each of the next two quarters.

The win was a repeat of Purefoods' 100-81 domination of Air21 in the two teams' first meeting last Nov. 14 at the Araneta Coliseum.

Roger Yap, Peter June Simon and Pingris scored 15, 14 and 14 points, respectively.

For his basketball exploits, James Yap was honored by Escalante City Mayor Melecio Yap, West Negros College , represented by president Suzette Agustin, and Bacolod Tay Tung High School , at halftime.

The scores:

Purefoods 114- J. Yap 25, R. Yap 15, Simon 14, Pingris 14, Salvador 14, Raymundo 10, Adducul 6, Yee 6, Sanz 5, Lanete 3, Larong 2, Evangelista 0.

Air21 92- Santos 20, Se 18, Cruz 14, de Ocampo 12, Canaleta 10, Chia 6, Magsumbol 5, Sotto 4, Kramer 3, Intal 0.

Quarterscores: 21-24; 46-41; 81-58; 114-92.

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