Bench-clearing brawl erupts in La Salle, FEU pre-season game

1st Commotion !!!!😡😡😡 pic.twitter.com/V3Stroc7WE

— Animo Davao (@animodavao) August 25, 2017

La Salle and Far Eastern U got into a bench-clearing brawl in their duel in the Kadayawan Festival pocket tournament at Almendras Gym in Davao.

In a video posted by Animo Davao, Kib Montalbo and Ken Tuffin got into a shoving match which seemed to have triggered the melee late in the third quarter.

Based on on the clip, players from the bench also got into scuffle as Tamaraw guard Axel Iñigo, who seemed to be pacifying the situation, got elbowed by Green Archer guard Brent Paraiso before FEU’s Ron Dennison, who was earlier ejected from the game, came out of the dugout and attempted to throw punches.

FEU was leading, 73-59, with 20.0 seconds left in the third quarter when the commotion ensued.

Commotion cause by Eboña. SMH FEU! pic.twitter.com/BGSOKq9LxW

— Animo Davao (@animodavao) August 25, 2017

Organizers forfeited the game as both teams were sent back to their team hotels.

INQUIRER.net has reached out to FEU head coach Olsen Racela and La Salle mentor Aldin Ayo but both have yet to respond.

Curiously, La Salle and FEU will open their respective UAAP Season 80 campaigns on September 10 at Mall of Asia Arena.

This wasn’t the first time these two teams got into each other’s nerves during a pre-season outing.

Last year, a tune-up game between La Salle and FEU at San Juan Arena was also halted when tempers flared between then-coach Nash Racela and Ayo.