Far Eastern ace, 2 others draw one-game UAAP ban
FAR EASTERN University veteran Reil Cervantes was slapped with a one-game suspension yesterday along with two players from the University of the Philippines and National University for various infractions in recent games of the UAAP men’s basketball tournament.
Cervantes was penalized for his clothesline attack on Paul Lee that sent the University of the East’s guard falling hard on the floor with just 53.6 seconds left in overtime of the game won by the Tamaraws, 83-77, last Sunday.
State U’s Alvin Padilla and National U rookie Glenn Khobuntin also have to sit out one game for unsportsmanlike fouls in separate games last Saturday.
“All three players committed their second unsportsmanlike foul, so it’s an automatic suspension,” league commissioner Ato Badolato said yesterday. “There will be a more serious penalty for a third offense, probably a two-game suspension.”
The league also issued a warning to University of Santo Tomas coach Pido Jarencio, who stormed inside the court Sunday to dispute a call during his Tigers’ double overtime loss to Adamson, 81-76.
Badolato said he also consulted with the UAAP board over FEU coach Glenn Capacio’s critical remarks on officiating in a recent postgame interview.
The 6-foot-4 Cervantes, arguably the league’s best power forward, will miss FEU’s game against UST this Saturday.
An MVP race contender, Cervantes averaged 11.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists in the Tamaraws’ seven-game sweep of the first round to rank fifth overall in the league.
Padilla was penalized for elbowing Ateneo rookie Art dela Cruz with 4:04 minutes left in the final quarter of the Maroons’ lopsided loss to the defending champion Eagles, 75-59.
The UP swingman, who leads his team in assists with 3.3 on top of 8.0 points and 4.6 boards, will miss the game against La Salle on Thursday.
Khobuntin, a top five contender for Rookie of the Year, was sanctioned for tripping La Salle’s Joseph Marata in the first half of the Bulldogs’ 59-56 setback against the Archers last Saturday.
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