By Jerome Lagunzad
Game Tomorrow
(Smart-Araneta Coliseum)
4 p.m. – La Salle vs Ateneo
(Game 2, Blue Eagles lead series 1-0)
Just play within the parameters of the basketball game.
That warning was issued by UAAP Commissioner Rebo Saguisag following the ‘bloody’ Game 1 between defending champion La Salle and Ateneo last Saturday.
The best-of-three finals series got off to rocky start with Ateneo holding off La Salle for a 76-70 victory marred by a bloody collision between Blue Eagles guard Matt Nieto and Green Archers top center Ben Mbala.
The 6-foot-7 Mbala tried to spin his way in the lane but landed an inadvertent elbow on the smaller Nieto, sending him down on the floor with blood all over his face after sustaining a deep gash above his left eye with under a minute left in the second period.
That scary sequence stoked the fire in an already heated rematch of last year’s finals, with La Salle guard Aljun Melecio and Ateneo counterpart Anton Asistio also getting slapped with a pair of unsportsmanlike fouls for their erring acts in the second half.
Mbala, who’s set to be named as the league’s MVP for the second straight year, and Ateneo’s Nigerian rival Chibueze Ikeh were called for double technical fouls while Blue Eagles coach Tab Baldwin was also given a warning by game officials.
Action should only get fiercer in tomorrow’s Game 2 at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum, with La Salle fighting for its dear life and Ateneo looking to return the favor after getting swept in last year’s finale.
However, Saguisag, admitted there won’t be any added measures in terms of enforcing the rules. But he’s keen on getting the full cooperation and coordination of both camps to ensure a classic showdown.
“I have to call their attention,” he said, referring to Baldwin and La Salle counterpart Aldin Ayo whom he expects to police their respective ranks. “Lagi kasing sinasabi hindi ma-control ng referees ang mga players. Pero hindi ba equally responsible ‘yung mga coaches in helping us and making sure that we’re going to have a good game?”
“Ang referees tatlo lang. ‘Yung mga coaches, kasama na ‘yung mga assistants, halos tag sampu naman sila. Ang punto ko lang, kung ‘yung mga players ay hindi niyo mapigil o ma-control, unfair naman ipasa ‘yung lahat ng burden sa officials.”
“Kung may nakikita kayong unnecessary action, especially in the collegiate level where we’re putting utmost importance on character-building, the coaches should not condone the players.”
Saguisag, who’s also serving as the league’s executive director, disclosed that he plans to sit down with Ateneo and La Salle officials for a “lengthy discussion” to sort things out just before Game 2’s tip-off.