University of Santo Tomas point guard Forthsky Padrigao clarified that there was no ill intent behind his actions toward University of the Philippines center Quentin Millora-Brown during their match-up in the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Men’s Basketball Final Four on Saturday evening at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
Padrigao received his first unsportsmanlike foul for pulling down Millora-Brown’s jersey at the 9:33 mark of the third quarter.
He was ejected from the game after incurring a second unsportsmanlike foul for inadvertently elbowing Millora-Brown in the stomach while trying to fight through a screen with 3:24 left in the fourth quarter.
Padrigao explained that his actions were not intended to harm Millora-Brown, but were instead part of his effort to deny UP’s Harold Alarcon the ball.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
“Ako, no intention naman to hurt QMB kasi kailangan ko i-deny si Harold ‘eh. Nadala ako ng momentum ni Harold kasi parang nakakapit ako kay Harold ng konti and then sakto lang kay QMB na tumama talaga,” the 23-year-old point guard from Ateneo shared.
Acknowledging his actions, Padrigao agreed with the referees’ decision to eject him, even though it contributed to UST’s loss to UP and ended their Season 87 campaign.
“Yon naman yung napag-desisyunan so I think that was the right call. No complaints naman. Pero, I think may plans naman ang coaches na i-appeal ‘yon but I’ll leave it up to them na lang,” he added.
Despite the early exit and his “bad performance,” Padrigao feels determined to return for his final year of eligibility with UST.
After two seasons with Ateneo de Manila University, Padrigao transferred to UST. He sat out his mandatory residency in Season 86 before playing his first season with the Growling Tigers this year.
“Babalik ako. After that exit? For sure na babalik ako. I think my teammates and the Thomasian community don’t deserve that performance from me. Kailangan ko bumawi next season,” the Zamboanga City native vowed to reporters.
#WATCH: Forthsky Padrigao is disqualified from the UAAP Men’s Basketball Final Four after committing unsportsmanlike fouls against QMB 🏀
📹 Ernest Tuazon/Tiebreaker Times#UAAPSeason87 pic.twitter.com/1BGSPfkOt9
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) November 30, 2024
