UAAP throws out UP protest

MANILA, Philippines—UAAP basketball tournament commissioner Ato Badolato turned down Tuesday the University of the Philippines’ protest on the alleged technical lapses in the game the Maroons narrowly lost to the National U Bulldogs, 61-59, last Sunday.   Badolato said the non-calls on the lane violation and goal-tending violations the Maroons contested were “judgment calls.”   Last Monday, Badolato slapped a two-game suspension on referees Ariel Bermeo and Glen Cornello, a one-game ban on UP player Alvin Padilla and a warning on UP coach Boyet Fernandez for various infractions in the same game.   Fernandez put the game under protest, citing two technical lapses in the second half—non-calls on a lane violation and a goal-tending violation—as the basis of the Maroons’ complaints.   “I’m just fighting for my players, who fought hard throughout the game,” said Fernandez.   Part of the UP protest included a goal-tending violation that was missed despite the shot being taken from beyond the arc.   Fernandez’ main beef, though, was a lane violation referees let go after NU’s Jewel Ponferrada’s missed free throws with 1.2 seconds left.   After Ponferrada nailed his first foul shot, the Maroons suspected he would miss the second to deny UP a chance to burn a timeout and draw up a last-second play.   The Maroons deliberately stepped into the shaded area to award Ponferrada another free throw after every miss. This happened five times before referees decided not to call a sixth lane violation on UP after Ponferrada’s last miss.   “Why let go of the last lane violation when you called the previous ones? Many things can still happen in the last 1.2 seconds,” said Fernandez.