UE appeals ban on Warrior; Bo case probed

UNIVERSITY of the East will appeal today the two-game suspension slapped on a third Warrior even as the UAAP Board plans to look into the heated postgame altercation between Ateneo coach Bo Perasol and a La Salle fan.

UE coach Boycie Zamar said he hopes the UAAP technical committee would reconsider the stiff sanction on Ralf Olivares, which came just days after tournament commissioner Chito Loyzaga also suspended UE starters Charles Mammie and Lord Casajeros for two games.

“There will always be contacts and lots of emotions; that’s college basketball,” said Zamar.

Olivares, one of UE’s hot-shooting guards, was penalized “for multiple instances of unsportsmanlike behavior” in the Warriors’ loss to National University, 73-81, last Saturday.

UE had appealed the previous sanctions, but only Casajeros’ suspension was cut to one game.

“All the remaining games are crucial, so we hope they’ll also look at the spirit of competition,” said Zamar, whose Warriors still have four games left in the race to the Final Four.

Meanwhile, league secretary Ma. Luisa Isip said the UAAP will review the run-in between Perasol and the La Salle fan which occurred right after the Green Archers’ 66-64 win over rival Blue Eagles last Sunday.

“The board will investigate the matter and decide if there will be  sanctions to be given,” Isip said yesterday.

Perasol nearly stormed the stands after the La Salle fan heckled the coach who was headed for the dugout. Security personnel and team members prevented matters from escalating.

“I’m sure he just acted on instinct as I did,” said Perasol later, noting he doesn’t see the need to file a complaint against the unruly fan.

“Both of us did not really think well of the consequences of our actions,” he added. “He must have his own agenda and I just didn’t want anybody to disrespect me or my team right in front of my face. Everything happened in the heat of the moment. I don’t think both our actions reflect the character of the institutions we represent.”