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DE LA
SALLE survived University of Santo Tomas (UST)—but most
especially bucked a heroic but unsuccessful attempt of a
former Junior Archer from the school’s Zobel high-school
in Alabang—Thursday night in Season 71 of the University
Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) at the
PhilSports Arena.
Rookie
Jeric Fortuna, a recruit from De La Salle-Zobel, missed
two potential clinchers from the three-point zone at
crunch time for the Tigers, who yielded, 85-84, to the
defending champions.
 James
Mangahas’s running shot with 47.7 seconds remaining gave
the Green Archers an 82-81 advantage, which was every
inch fragile against the Tigers’ relentless offense.
With the
win, the Green Archers now share second place with a 2-1
win-loss card with idle University of the East and Far
Eastern University (FEU).
Fortuna
could have donned green in the league, but appeared to
have some issues with Franz Pumaren—if the De La Salle
coach’s statement to media after the game is to be taken
from context.
“He [Jeric]
was trying out for me but all of sudden, he went to
another school. It is his call. If I was a selfish
coach, I could have easily said that ‘I will use you’
just so that he will not go. I think he did okay,” said
De La Salle coach Franz Pumaren.
Bader
Malabes fired 16 points on four-of-seven shooting from
the three-point area, including a booming triple with
1:42 remaining that broke a 77-all deadlock.
JV Casio
led the Green Archers with 19 points, while Mangahas had
18 markers. Jervy Cruz had 20 points and 11 rebounds in
leading the Tigers.
In
Thursday’s other game,FEU defeated University of the
Philippines (UP), 88-66. Benedict Fernandez led the way
for the Tamaraws with 16 points, while Aldrech Ramos had
14 points and eight rebounds.
“In our
last game, we did not have our defense and ball movement
that is why we concentrated on both,” said FEU coach
Glenn Capacio.
The
Tamaraws improved to 2-1, while the Fighting Maroons
dropped to 1-2.
Jay
Agbayani led the Fighting Maroons with 12 points, while
Martin Reyes had 11 in a losing effort.
Meanwhile, UAAP basketball tournament director Edwin
Barber said the league suspended referee Ryan Tabaniag
for his mistakes in the De La Salle-FEU game on
Saturday, and not because of suspicions that he tried to
rig the game’s outcome.
“It was
malicious. The commissioner’s office reviewed the tape
and suspended him. That’s all,” said Barber.
The UAAP
Board scheduled an emergency meeting late Thursday to
discuss a newspaper report that stated Tabaniag was
suspended for alleged game-fixing.
Basketball commissioner Chito Narvasa suspended the
referee for “not following the guidelines and
instructions laid down to protect the integrity of the
game” in FEU’s 73-62 loss to De La Salle. |
