MANILA, Philippines?While the rest of his players were coming to terms with the loss, De La Salle University coach Franz Pumaren lashed out at the officiating, which he said was ?the worst? he has ever ?seen in the Finals.?

?We shouldn?t have come here to play,? said Pumaren, after the Archers bowed to the Eagles, 62-51, in Game 2 at the Araneta Coliseum. ?It?s just like a script. They might as well have given them the trophy (Ateneo).?

Pumaren was incensed by the second technical foul that caused the ejection of forward Rico Maierhofer for flashing a ?dirty finger.?

Called for a technical foul for taunting in the first period, Maierhofer?s banishment left La Salle without a potent inside-outside threat.

Maierhofer?s ejection came after the Archers had trimmed a 15-point halftime deficit to six, 49-43.

?You be the judge if there was a dirty finger there,? said Pumaren.

Maierhofer, who was in tears as he walked toward the dugout, said he was merely pointing a finger at his teammates to defend their men.

?The referees just decided the game,? he said. ?Sana we just didn?t show up here. They could?ve given us a chance to play. This is really ridiculous. It?s the worst officiating in the nine years that I?ve been in the Finals,? said Pumaren.

La Salle?s main man JV Casio fouled out with 2:48 left for charging on Jai Reyes. Casio finished with 18 points, including four triples in the third period.

The Archers were slapped a total of 29 fouls, giving the Eagles 28 free throws, 18 of them they converted. Cedelf Tupas