Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Katherine Bell was a late replacement for the injured Hillary Hurley, but she arrived just in time for Petron and its redemption tour in the 2018 Philippine Superliga Grand Prix.
Bell had a triumphant PSL debut on April 24 at the start of the Blaze Spikers’ semifinals showdown against Cocolife where she wasted no time in showing what she’s made of with a 29-point performance.
The 25-year-old Bell made a great first impression, but at that point, her best was yet to come and it was during Petron’s finals rematch with rival F2 Logistics where the former University of Texas ace shone the brightest.
Bell averaged 28.3 points in the title series, which included a 42-point explosion in a Game 1 victory and a 28-point outing in the deciding Game 3.
“She (Bell) is an amazing player, all-around player. She really played a big role to our team and just helped us big time to win this championship,” said Petron head coach Shaq delos Santos in Filipino after steering his team to the title on Saturday night.
Lindsay Stalzer, who won her second PSL title and became the league’s first two-time MVP, had all praise for Bell.
“Kat was an immense support. Her maturity and composure, I’m just so grateful to her. She had incredible performances and she’s a freaking high class level player,” Stalzer marveled.
Bell returned the favor to Stalzer.
She said having Stalzer around helped her adjust and learn the Blaze Spikers’ system quickly.
“Before I got here, she was already here and that made it pretty easy for me,” Bell said.