Games Saturday
(Mall of Asia Arena)
2 p.m. – NU vs UP
4 p.m. – UST vs FEU
Aldin Ayo had a short time on the La Salle bench yesterday – no thanks to his anger, and a pair of spectacles.
The muscular coach was ejected late in the second quarter of the Green Archers’ tough 84-78 victory over the University of the East Red Warriors in the UAAP basketball tournament when he tried to make an official wear a pair of eyeglasses in protest over a non-call.
Ayo’s exit came with 1:12 left in the second quarter and La Salle holding a 40-28 lead after UE’s Will Bartolome escaped a possible foul on Thomas Torres during a scramble near the sidelines.
Upset over the non-whistle, Ayo charged at referee Eric Viray and attempted to put the lenses of La Salle assistant coach Siot Tanquincen into the official, prompting other whistleblowers to send him to the locker room of the Mall of Asia Arena.
Ayo faces a possible suspension for Sunday’s marquee match with archrival Ateneo at the same venue.
The Blue Eagles earlier posted a 79-64 win over the University of the Philippines Maroons.
“I have no comment, I might get into trouble,” Ayo later told scribes after the game.
His ejection seemed to have change the outlook of an expected one-sided affair, as the Red Warriors tried to claw their way back behind Energizer Bunny Alvin Pasaol, but the Green Archers got timely contributions from Andrei Caracut and Prince Rivero to stretch their unbeaten run to six games.
Caracut scored all of his nine points in the fourth quarter, including a backbreaking triple with 48 seconds left that made it 81-74, while Rivero had 11 points and eight rebounds in just 10 minutes for his best game of the season.
“It was tough that coach Aldin was thrown out of the game due to unlikely circumstances but we just stuck together as a team,” said Rivero.
Scores:
ATENEO 79 – Ravena 22, Ikeh 14, Asistio 10, Nieto Mi 7, Tolentino 7, Wong 6, Nieto Ma 5, Verano 4, Babilonia 2, Porter 2, Go 0, Ildefonso 0, Mendoza 0
UP 64 – Desiderio 25, Manuel 17, Lim 7, Moralde 6, Dario 4, Espanola 3, Prado 2, Harris 0, Webb 0, Asilum 0, Gomez de Liano 0, Jaboneta 0, Longa 0, Vito 0, Romero 0
Quarters: 13-17; 38-29; 58-54; 79-64.
Second Game
LA SALLE 84 – Mbala 19, Baltazar 14, Rivero P. 1, Montalbo 9, Caracut 9, Teng 7, Melecio 5, Torres 4, Go 4, Perkins 2, Tratter 0, Paraiso 0, Rivero R. 0.
UE 78 – Pasaol 22, Batiller 13, Varilla 8, Derige 8, Manalang 7, Palma 7, De Leon 4, Bartolome 4, Penuela 4, Charcos 1, Gagate 0, Olayon 0, Abanto 0, Armenion 0, Acuno 0.
Quarters: 25-15; 44-30; 62-55; 84-78.