Letran coach Aldin Ayo, Mapua’s Atoy Co get one-game ban

Mapua coach Atoy Co and Letran coach Aldin Ayo. Photos by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

The NCAA management committee on Thursday meted one game suspensions each on Letran coach Aldin Ayo, Mapua coach Atoy Co, Cardinals’ guard Andretti Stevens, and Lyceum center Joseph Gabayni.

Ayo’s ban was for throwing monobloc chair in protest of a foul called on guard Mcjour Luib in the Knights’ 83-78 victory against Lyceum on Tuesday, which earned him a technical foul. The NCAA Mancom said the act was “unbecoming and disrespect of the officials.”

“He already has a warning when they were playing against San Sebastian when he removed an eyeglass of an assistant and gave it to the referee,” said NCAA commissioner Bai Cristobal. “There was a resentment to a call on Luib on his fifth foul and the referee wasn’t able to see and overlooked him getting a chair and threw it on the passageway going to the dugout.”

Gabayni was also suspended after being whistled with a disqualifying foul after he elbowed Rey Nambatac in the Pirates’ defeat to Letran.

Co, meanwhile, got an automatic suspension for incurring two technical fouls in the Cardinals’ 109-95 win against Lyceum last Friday— first for continuous complaining then for taking off his shirt in protest of the initial technical foul.

“As the Commissioner, my mandate is to warn him on the shirt incident. If there’s a repetition, there will be another suspension,” said Cristobal.

Stevens was also handed a one-game ban after getting thrown out with two technical fouls in the same game.

“We have a house rule that two technical fouls will result to an automatic suspension,” said Cristobal. “Everything is being governed here, ran here by the house rules of the NCAA and ground rules of FIBA.”

Ayo will miss Letran’s game against Emilio Aguinaldo College while Gabayni will sit out the Pirates’ duel against San Sebastian. Co and Stevens will also be absent in Mapua’s game against St. Benilde, all on Friday at San Juan Arena. CFC