UAAP suspends three players for one game

Manila, Phillipines - Three erring players were meted with one-game suspension on Monday for their misdemeanors on the court during the heated games in the UAAP Season 73 men’s basketball over the weekend.

Reil Cervantes, who was instrumental in Far Eastern University’s 83-77 come-from-behind overtime win against University of the East, was the biggest name on the sanction list.

Cervantes’ infraction came in the last 53.6 seconds of the overtime when he floored UE’s top gunner Paul Lee with a clothesline tackle. There was some anxious moments after Cervantes’ unsportsmanlike foul when Lee grimaced in pain on the floor and took several minutes before he could stand up.

With Cervantes’ suspension, he will no longer be eligible to win the MVP award even after making it the top five after the first round.

He will sit out FEU’s next game against the slumping University of Sto. Tomas Growling Tigers on Thursday.

Meanwhile, University of the Philippines’Alvin Padilla and National University’s rookie Glenn Khobuntin were also suspended due to separate infactions.

Padilla was caught elbowing Ateneo’s rookie forward Art dela Cruz, Jr. in the 4:04 mark of their 59-75 loss to the Blue Eagles on Saturday.

Khobuntin, on the other hand, was guilty for tripping La Salle gunner Samuel Joseph Marata during the first half of their 56-59 loss to the Green Archers.

League Commissioner Ato Badolato, who reviewed the game tapes of the weekend’s games, cited the rule book’s provision that second unsportsmanlike foul incurred will gain automatic suspension in the next game.

The UAAP board upon Badolato’s recommendation also warned UST coach Pido Jarencio for his outburst during his team’s heartbreaking 76-81 double overtime loss to the Adamson Falcons last Sunday.

Alder Almo, UAAP Sports