UNIVERSITY of the Philippines will just have to move on from another painful loss as the non-call on the goaltending violation in its recent game “cannot be a basis for review,” a UAAP official said yesterday.
The winless Maroons—who lost four of their five games by just an average of three points—had been incensed by the non-call in their slim setback to Far Eastern University, 73-70, last Sunday.
A video replay in the arena showed that the block of FEU’s Anthony Hargrove on UP’s Diony Hipolito was a goaltending violation, but commissioner Ato Badolato said yesterday that such calls cannot be overturned.
The incident occurred with the Maroons trailing, 66-70, with just three minutes to go.
“Goaltending [and other judgment calls] cannot be reviewed or be a basis for a protest,” said Badolato.
UP coach Ricky Dandan said the non-call reminded him of the Maroons’ heartbreaking loss to Adamson last week, 69-67, where a non-call on a charging foul by Adamson’s Jericho Cruz in the dwindling seconds led to Rodney Brondial’s game-winner.
“I talked to [Badolato] immediately after the game, he said that we do not have rules on reversing a goaltending violation,” said Dandan. “We are all very disappointed because this is the second time that we were denied an opportunity to win.”
The Maroons will try to end their five-game losing skid against another winless squad in the University of the East on Saturday.
Meanwhile, National University star Ray Parks bagged the UAAP Press Corps Player of the Week award after leading the Bulldogs to their first back-to-back wins this season.
Parks, last season’s Most Valuable Player, is again among the early candidates for the top individual plum after leading the league in points (18.3 ppg) and assists (5.3 apg) in six games.
“You’re only as good as your last game so you always have to motivate the team,” said Parks.
Starring in the clutch, Parks shot 17 points when the Bulldogs snapped Far Eastern University’s unbeaten run with a 61-57 upset last Thursday.
Parks also collected 12 points, 11 rebounds and five assists in the Bulldogs’ 77-62 drubbing of Adamson last Sunday to clinch the weekly citation given by sports scribes covering the collegiate beat and Accel 3XVI.
In another development, the league released a revised tournament schedule where game days will be set on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday for the next two weeks due to venue availability.