Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—Collegiate athletes know that their scholastic careers will always come to a close. But for Far Eastern University’s Barkley Eboña, his final game in college saw an abrupt end.
Eboña’s last game with the Tamaraws in the UAAP Season 82 men’s basketball tournament didn’t even reach the final buzzer after he was ejected late in the second quarter of their knockout game in the stepladder semifinals against University of Santo Tomas.
The burley big man was thrown out with 1:19 left in the first half after getting called for his second unsportsmanlike foul when he hit UST’s Soulemane Chabi Yo with an elbow and his ejection stung the worst way possible.
“It hurts because I’m a senior and I should be a role model for the team,” said Eboña in Filipino Wednesday after FEU got eliminated with an 81-71 loss.
“Coach (Olsen Racela) told me that the seniors should always be disciplined. It just hurts because this is my last game and I didn’t exit in a proper way. I wasn’t even able to sing our university hymn.”
Eboña, who finished with nine points and seven rebounds in just 13 minutes of play, still tried to help his team in any way he could.
While the team huddled during the break, Eboña told his teammates to step up and play the right way.
The Tamaraws heeded his call when they trimmed the Tigers’ massive 54-28 halftime lead to just five, 70-65, midway through the fourth.
Unfortunately for FEU, UST hit some crucial shots to restore order and take a 78-65 lead with 1:28 left.