With the game already decided and just 0.5 seconds left on the clock, Jacob Bayla’s emphatic dunk should have been nothing more than a punctuation mark on the University of the Philippines’ victory over neighborhood rival Ateneo de Manila University.
Instead, it sparked a heated confrontation that overshadowed the Fighting Maroons’ 82-74 triumph and season sweep of the Blue Eagles.
With UP holding a six-point cushion, Bayla opted to throw down one final dunk before the buzzer, drawing the ire of Ateneo head coach Louie Alas, who took exception to what he considered a breach of one of basketball’s traditional unspoken rules: refraining from scoring when the outcome is already decided.
Rather than the customary exchange of handshakes, a brief altercation ensued between the two sides.
Security personnel, coaching staff members, and Alas’ eldest son, Kevin, intervened to restrain the veteran mentor, while Bayla was also seen taunting him amid the commotion.
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“I’m sorry for that, pero I just want him to know na panalo ka na,” said Alas. “Kami, ‘di namin gagawin ‘yun. Papagalitan ko talaga player ko ‘pag gumanun. Again, unspoken rule ‘yan, pero anyway, it happened, and again, I’m sorry.
“Ang tanda ko na, nagalit pa ako. It is what it is.”
For Alas, what further escalated his frustration was that the provocation appeared to extend beyond Bayla, involving a member of the Fighting Maroons’ coaching staff.
“’Yung mga coaches, nag-so-sorry. Ewan ko itong si Christian Luanzon, kung ano ‘yung kinakagalit niya? Uncalled for ‘yun. Gawin sa ‘yo ‘yan ng kabilang team—instead na awatin mo na lang ‘yung player mo, that’s wrong na tutulungan pa. That’s bad,” he said.
“That’s why I really appreciate sila Coach Binky (Favis), Coach Goldwin (Monteverde), ‘yung iba. ‘Coach, pasensya na’ — ako, tanggap ko na kaagad ‘yun eh. At least alam na dapat hindi.”
Alas remained visibly incensed after the final whistle, briefly waiting for Bayla before team staff and security personnel ushered him into the Ateneo dugout.
The veteran strategist eventually cooled down while spending time with his family before speaking candidly to reporters about the incident.
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Luanzon, meanwhile, clarified that his actions were never intended to disrespect Alas, stressing that he holds the veteran coach in the highest regard.
“I have the utmost respect for Coach Louie. In fact, nilapitan ko nga kaagad si Kevin (Alas) — kasama ko siya sa church, Tita Lisa (wife of Louie), and Selina (wife of Kevin) and explained that I was just trying to pacify him,” said Luanzon.
“It was an unfortunate incident for both teams.”
On the other side of the confrontation, UP head coach Goldwin Monteverde defended Bayla’s decision to play until the final buzzer during the post-game press conference.
While last-second baskets in games with seemingly insurmountable leads have historically sparked heated exchanges, Monteverde pointed to the importance of the quotient system in a tightly contested tournament as justification for his instructions to the team.
Despite UP currently pacing the standings and becoming the first team to secure a Final Four berth with the victory, the two-time collegiate champion mentor emphasized that every basket could potentially matter in determining the final standings.
“Sa aming coaches, ‘yun kasi itong season, sobrang dikit-dikit ‘yung standing, so sinasabi ko sa kanila lagi na kung may tsansa at the end, try to make the basket; we never know kasi kung magkaroon ng tie,” explained Monteverde.
“Wala naman kaming intention na mapasama ‘yung sitwasyon na ‘yun, pero siguro si Jacob naalala ‘yung ganon.”
For his part, Bayla was more than willing to explain his decision to finish with one final dunk. The Season 87 gold medalist initially maintained that he and his teammates simply wanted to compete until the final buzzer.
“I mean, they were pressing us, and my mind was just to play to the final buzzer. I don’t really know what they said to me, but my dad’s friends with Coach Louie Alas and we go way back. This is just basketball. That’s the game. Just play to the final buzzer,” he said.
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However, when pressed about his additional antics directed at Alas during the commotion, Bayla offered a much shorter response.
“We won the game. Enough said.”
