UAAP Season 73 Round 2
UP Fighting Maroons vs NU Bulldogs
NU wins 61-59
With Woody Co and Mark Lopez both out for the season due to injuries, the Fighting Maroons had a good game, making a big comeback with NU leading by 7 points with 51 seconds left, Alvin Padilla and Mike Silungan both made a three pointer to cut the lead to 1, 60-59 with 21 seconds left in the game but UP still came up short to get their 1st win in the current UAAP Season.
The end game was controversial as Coach Boyet Fernandez (now also Meralco Assistant Coach in the PBA) instructed the team to make an intentional lane violation in order for NU to make a free throw so that they can call a timeout with 1.2 seconds left. The lane violation was called 4 times until the referee decided not to call it anymore and Ponferrada intentionally missing the free throw and game was over.
Although UP did not commit a violation doing this because it is a loop hole in the rules that a lane violation and a miss free throw will result in another free throw no matter how many times it is called. Maybe they should review the rules and put a 3 lane violation technical foul rule but can only be added in the next season that is why UP made a protest after the game.
UP actually had the chance to win the game but 4th year player Dioboy Hipolito missed 2 free throws which could have given the Maroons as 1 point lead.
Game scores:
NU 61 – Mbe 21, Hermosisima 14, Ponferrada 8, Baloran 6, Khobuntin 3, Terso 3, Malanday 3, Ludovice 0, Javelona 0, Ignacio 0, Eriobu 0, Tungcul 0, Singh 0, Magat 0.
UP 59 – Silungan 17, Padilla 13, Sison 8, Ma Reyes 6, Hipolito 6, Juruena 4, Mi Reyes 3, Gomez 2, Saret 0, Pascual 0, Maniego 0.
Quarter scoring: 11-15, 20-28, 44-42, 61-59.
I watched this game live at the Araneta Coliseum.
A lot of these discussions could have been obviated if only that kid Hipolito hit those free throws with two seconds left.
It is a pity that he missed those free throws, because he was playing very well at that point, a major contributor to the UP rally that saw them reduce the NU lead to l point.
I don’t think our protest would be upheld by the UAAP. Our boys just have to play their hearts out in the last four games of the Fighting Maroons. And they better learn how to hit those free throws in clutch situations.
THe support continues.
up should lead by a point because of the goaltend of mbe wasn’t called