University of the East’s Wil Bartolome heads to the locker room after getting ejected late in the Red Warriors’ loss to Far Eastern U on Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016, in the UAAP Season 79 men’s basketball tournament at Smart Araneta Coliseum. Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
University of the East coach Derrick Pumaren cried foul on what he felt was a crucial call that spelled doom for his squad in its 67-59 loss to Far Eastern University on Sunday.
The Red Warriors were staging a fightback and trimmed the lead to just three, 62-59 after a Clark Derige triple with 1:26 left in the fourth quarter.
Wil Bartolome, though, was whistled called for a disqualifying foul after elbowing Ron Dennison during a rebound play, leading to a pair of Joe Trinidad freebies.
“That was the turning point. We lost because of that. The call was just a foul. Why did they change it to a disqualifying foul?,” he said.
Pumaren said it’s common sense that the 6-foot-6 Bartolome would hit the 6-foot Dennison over the shoulders as the two were jostling for the rebound.
“Siyempre tatamaan niya above the shoulder cause he was boxing out. Hindi naman intentional. I don’t know what transpired there that they changed it to a disqualifying foul. That means the call of the referees was changed,” he said.
“I think they should have let us play. I don’t totally agree with that. Kung siniko niya, di ako magko-complain, but I saw it on the screen. That was a big call, I mean big change of call.”
Pumaren acknowledged that the call was a huge blow, but he admits that his team is also at fault for what was UE’s third straight loss this UAAP Season 79.
“I’m frustrated, at the same time, disappointed. As I’ve told the team, we make stops, we play defense, but the game of basketball is putting the ball inside the hoop. How can we win if we’re shooting 29 percent? Until we found ways to put the ball inside the hoop, that’s when we’ll start winning,” he said.
The Red Warriors were horrible from the field in the game against the Tamaraws, shooting 29 percent from the field and posting a dismal 13-of-44 field goal shooting for two-pointers.
Hope, though, is still not lost, and Pumaren believes that UE must correct its mistakes now. And it all starts on Sunday against UP.
“We’re 0-3, I know everybody is down. We’re all disappointed and frustrated, expectations are high, but we’re in this hole right now and we just have to climb out of it,” he said.
“We have UP. The important thing is we don’t underestimate UP. We have to come out and be ready for UP because we’re not out of it. The season is still young, it just started, but we have to move.”