During the off-season, the De La Salle University Green Archers have made the rounds, facing various professional and semi-professional club teams to better prepare themselves for the upcoming UAAP season. Since the finale of the Filoil Flying V Premier Cup, the Archers have faced the San Miguel Beermen, Filoil’s supposed CWBL team (The Thunders), the Arellano University Chiefs, and the ZC-Mindanao Aguilas, just to name a few.
Thursday evening though, the Green Archers faced the defending UAAP champions Far Eastern University Tamaraws in a 12-minute unsanctioned tune-up game at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan City. The game started at 7:30pm.
Right from the get-go, La Salle head coach Aldin Ayo shared that he had a bad feeling about the game when he saw the starting five of the Tamaraws.
“Sila yung nanguna e. And kung titignan mo yung starting five nila, alam ko na na mananakit ang mga ito,” he said.
Ben Mbala, La Salle’s foreign student-athlete, received a brunt of the fouls right from the opening quarter according to eyewitnesses resulting to him expressing his frustration to FEU head coach Nash Racela.
“Talk to your players,” the Cameroonian student-athlete was overheard saying towards the UAAP Champion coach. FEU’s assistant coaches were heard telling Mbala to just continue playing.
Ayo shared that it was not in the character of Mbala or his players to talk to Ayo or his staff when they feel that they are being hurt by the opposing team.
“Hindi naman nagsusumbong si Ben at yung mga bata. Kaya lang alam mo yun, coach ka tapos nakikipag-trash talk ka sa mga players ng opposing team? Sa tingin ko hindi tama yun,” the 38 year old mentor rued.
“Ako hindi ako nagsasalita kahit gaano kasama yung ginagawa sa mga players ko, hindi ako dumidirekta sa mga players ng mga kalaban namin. Yung players ng kalaban namin, under the responsibility ng opposing coach yun.”
The game continued up until the third quarter, a quarter that turned out to be the boiling point for both squads.
Late in the game, and with the Green Archers up by at least nine points, three flagrant fouls were called against the Tamaraws. The first one was against Ron Dennison as he made a two-handed push against Andrei Caracut on the break.
The next flagrant foul was assessed on Monbert Arong as the Cebuano was seen “punching” King Archer Jeron Teng. Arong then made a fighting stance against Teng after the whistle that caused Alvin Teng, Jeron’s father, to stand-up from the stands to try and confront Arong.
The final flagrant foul was called away from the ball. During an inbound scenario, the referee blew the whistle against a Tamaraw that was defending Ricci Rivero.
“Oo, sinutok ni Arong si Jeron tapos right after fighting Jeron nag-fighting stance siya. Yung flying kick din ni Jose kay Ben,” Ayo recalled.
“Actually halos lahat ng players ko nasaktan at yung mga players ko hindi rin naman aatras. Hindi naman gagawa ang mga ito ng ano-ano, ang gagawin lang nila ay protektahan yung sarili nila at kahit naman ano mangyari maglalaro pa rin sila ng basketball.”
With La Salle up by 17 points, 92-75, with 1:29 remaining in the third quarter, the unsanctioned game suddenly stopped. According to the councilor from Sorsogon City, it was the coaching staff of FEU that called for the game to stop.
“Ito nga yun e. Sila na nag-umpisa tapos sila yung napikon. Tapos sila pa yung sumugod sa bench namin.
Oo sumugod sila. Si Eric Gonzales, si Nash Racela, buong coaching staff pati yung mga players biglang pumunta sa… Although mineet namin sila sa gitna, sila yung unang lumapit sa amin,” the former Letran mentor said.
It was then that the game was stopped.
A few minutes later, both head coaches were seen exchanging a brief handshake just as Racela was about to leave the venue while Ayo was about to enter La Salle’s locker room. However, neither side have yet to reach-out to each other afterwards said Ayo.
“Wala pa nga e. Hindi kami kinakausap,” he said. “Sa akin walang problema. Hindi naman kami nagalit. Kami yung side na binubugbog and we just protected ourselves. In the process, sila yung napikon.”
“Sa akin naman as much as possible gusto kong maayos. Ayaw naman natin ng ganitong situwasyon.”
Even with what happened, La Salle’s mentor shared that he is still open to having more tune-ups with fellow UAAP teams. However, he added that the officiating for these unsanctioned games should be stricter to avoid any physical altercation from ever happening.
“Okay lang sa amin na makipag-tune up. Tinitignan lang namin kung ano ang makakapag-improve sa amin. Pero yung masasaktan especially tune-up game ito, yung mga referee at official hindi na-cocontrol yung mga second motion at off ball na insidente. Dun nag-stastart lahat,” he closed.
For FEU head coach Nash Racela’s take >> Racela says Tamaraws won’t back down from Archers
