UAAP: UST to protest loss to Ateneo, but UAAP commissioner has yet to receive complaint

The University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers plan to protest their Saturday loss against the Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles, but UAAP commissioner Ato Badolato said he still has yet to receive a formal complaint from the Tigers’ camp, as of writing. Teams must file a protest within 24 hours of the game, according to UAAP rules. According to UST coach Pido Jarencio, Ateneo coach Norman Black should have been assessed a technical foul in the final 10 seconds of play. Black confronted the referees, demanding that they call a foul on the Tigers when they triple-teamed Ateneo's Ryan Buenafe and stole the ball, leading to a go-ahead jumper on the other end by Karim Abdul. Jarencio argued that Black had already been issued a warning for the same offense earlier in the game. The call on the ensuing play, UST contends, was just as critical. With five seconds remaining in the game, Buenafe was fouled as he drove to the rim for a lay-up. Abdul batted Buenafe's shot after the whistle, and game officials called a goaltending violation as the shot appeared to be on its way down. Buenafe was awarded two points and a bonus free throw, which he made, to give the Eagles the 68-66 win. UST felt aggrieved again as it claims the call should not have been made because Buenafe's shot did not appear to have a chance to fall inside the hoop anyway, and that Abdul's swat did nothing to change the outcome of the basket. UST still had a chance to win the game, but Aljon Mariano’s shot, out of a timeout, missed. Ateneo thus clinched the top spot in the standings with a 12-2 record, while UST fell to 9-4, good for third place. Earlier in the month, the host team National University Bulldogs protested their 77-75 loss to the Far Eastern University Tamaraws, complaining that the video replay could not decisively conclude whether or not RR Garcia’s got his game-winning lay-up off before time expired. NU’s protest was initially denied by commissioner Badolato, but the Bulldogs appealed to the UAAP Board, which overturned the decision, leading to a replay scheduled for September 23. - AMD/HS, GMA News