One of the most prominent issues that plagued the UAAP Season 86 Men’s Basketball Tournament was the suspension of University of the East center Precious Momowei against Ateneo de Manila University after he incurred an unsportsmanlike foul against De La Salle University in the previous game.
Momowei received an unsportsmanlike foul at the 6:43 mark of the second quarter during the Red Warriors’ game against the Green Archers last Sunday.
This was the second time he received such a sanction. His first unsportsmanlike foul occurred on October 15, 2023, during the Red Warriors’ first-round game against the Adamson Soaring Falcons.
The incident took place with 7:38 left in the game.
His actions and the judgment that was afforded to him exempted him from being considered for any individual awards this season, which stung the UE community because he was the frontrunner for the Rookie of the Year award.
Amidst the social media vitriol that came with the decision, Assistant Commissioner Atty. Mariana Lopa clarified in a press conference today how the decision was made.
“First of all, something that has been asked of us is whether he was going for the ball. That is something that we hear a lot. I think I’d like to clarify that with you guys too,” said Lopa.
“Under the FIBA rules, there are four categories of unsportsmanlike fouls: three and four are clear path and stopping a fast break; number one is not a legitimate attempt to go for the ball; and number two is a legitimate attempt to go for the ball but with excessive hard contact — that’s where Momowei’s unsportsmanlike foul was categorized.”
The UAAP as a league has a procedure to deal with such situations. It is one that all of the league’s member schools know and are a part of.
Both sides are in constant communication, and the Commissioner’s Office, in particular, takes great care in handling these things.
“The process is that within 48 hours, we’re going to send a notice of the sanction. They can appeal, and we respond to the appeal. In this case, the game was on Sunday. We sent the notice on Monday, the following day. UE appealed. We received the appeal late Tuesday morning. That was what they were asking — if the unsportsmanlike foul can be downgraded,” said Lopa.
“What’s the process when we receive an appeal like that? We take a look at the play multiple times. We consult with our technical heads. We consult with our referees — not just the calling referees — but our team of referees. We arrive at a consensus on whether or not it can be downgraded or excluded from accumulation.”
Ultimately, the members of the officiating team try to be as objective and thorough as they can be. So many things are on the line, and they strive to make the correct decisions.
In this case, they are adamant that they made the right call.
“Unfortunately, in this case when we reviewed the specific play, our minds didn’t change essentially. It was an unsportsmanlike foul with excessive hard contact that resulted in a blow to the face of Kevin Quiambao,” said Lopa.
