NCAA: Arellano drops protest of 2OT defeat to JRU

Citing sportsmanship and league interest, Arellano University Saturday withdrew its protest of its 112-114 double overtime loss to Jose Rizal in the 91st NCAA basketball tournament.

The Chiefs said they are no longer pushing through with their complaint that a late decision by game officials altered their game plan in the final seconds of the second overtime of a game that could have huge repercussions in the Final Four race.

Peter Cayco, Arellano’s representative to the Management Committe, said the decision came from university president Francisco Cayco.

“I was ordered by my president not to put the game under protest in the spirit of sportsmanship and in the interest of the NCAA,” said Cayco.

The protest stemmed from the late decision of the referees to downgrade a three-point shot by Jose Rizal U’s Tey Teodoro to a two-point basket that should have forged a 112-all deadlock. By the time the call was made, the Chiefs guard Jiovani Jalalon had already committed an intentional foul on Gio Lasquety who converted the game-winning free throws.

Arellano argued that if the shot was downgraded earlier there would have been a tie  after Jalalon buried a triple of his own and the team would not have committed the foul on Lasquety.

The Bombers thus retained their 6-4 card, tying the Chiefs for a share of fourth spot.