The Far Eastern University Tamaraws and the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons figured in a close and heated tilt Sunday afternoon at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
At the heat of the affair, former University of Visayas teammates Ron Dennison and Paul Desiderio figured in a “controversial” call that resulted to the former being disqualified from the game.
With 2:48 remaining in the game and with FEU up by just three points, 47-44, the fifth year FEU wingman was guarding the Batang Gilas standout but the latter ran through the arm of Dennison, crumbling to the floor. The referee near by immediately blew his whistle, ejecting 6’0″ defensive specialist off from the hard court.
For the 22 year old guard, he stressed that he had no intention of hurting anyone during the game.
“Siguro masasabi ko lang, limang beses lahat flop. Wala akong intensyon. Alam ni Desiderio yun,” Dennison, who played 13 minutes in the game, said.
“Nasasaktan siya kaya willing siya mag-flop.
“Hindi ko siya sinuntok. Wala, kahit tignan niyo pa. Kahit i-replay niyo pa ng sampung beses iyon,” he furthered.
Dennison believes that the referee who blew the whistle on his ejection was focusing on him too much.
“Sa akin kasi may background na siya sa akin na tirador. Ngayon, wala,” he remarked about the game official. “Ewan ko lang sa kanya. Mainit talaga siya sa akin every game.”
“Lahat pero kadalasan yung referee na yun. Last time ata yung siya yung tumawag sa akin last season.”
The FEU seniors though hopes that the commissioner’s office reviews the incident as it may result to an additional one-game suspension for him.
“Coach na namin bahala kumausap kay commissioner. I don’t know pero yun yung aanuhin nila coach. I think kahit sa video ganun din,” he closed.
Racela shares his senior’s sentiments in saying.
“Wala. Umarte lang, nagpa-bagsak lang si [Desiderio]. I don’t think kalabitin ka sa tiyan, babagsak ka ng ganoon. So the referees should be smart enough,” the UAAP champion coach added.
