Game 2 ‘badly officiated’, Pumaren rues

MANILA, Philippines – La Salle coach Franz Pumaren called Game Two of the UAAP finals one of the “worst-officiated games". The Archers, the champions last year, lost two key players—JV Casio and Rico Maierhofer—to fouls en route to a 62-51 loss Thursday. “We were called for 29 fouls and Ateneo 13. Ganu’n ba talaga sila kagaling dumipensa?" Pumaren said. “This is one of the worst-officiated games." Maierhofer was ejected after he incurred a second technical because of an unsportsmanlike gesture at the 1:31 stage of the third quarter. Casio, who helped La Salle reduce a 15-point deficit to a one-possession affair at the end of the third quarter, was called for his fifth and final foul—an offensive foul off a shove on a drive—with three minutes left in the game and the score at 55-49 in favor of Ateneo. Rabeh al-Hussaini of Ateneo also played only three minutes in the first half after being assessed two early fouls. In Game One, both teams suffered from tight officiating. La Salle starters Bader Malabes and James Mangahas and Ateneo’s Chris Tiu were forced to ride the bench for most of the game because of early foul trouble. – GMANews.TV