After being down by as much as 15 points in the first quarter, the season hosts slowly cut the La Salle lead and, by the start of the third quarter were able to get their first taste of the lead in a 6-1 rally. After free throws by Dave Moralde that gave UP a 32-28 at the 8:58 mark of the quarter, action was stopped as the referees confided with Commissioner Rebo Saguisag. After about ten minutes of deliberation, it was deemed that UP rookie Pio Longa was wearing the wrong shorts.
The UP Fighting Maroons light jersey shorts has an Oblation Logo printed on the left side part as seen in the photo above. Pio Longa’s on the other hand was on the right side. It’s a slight technicality but is strictly enforced by all the top leagues in the country.
Coach Juno Sauler said that someone from his coaching staff noticed the difference in the jersey shorts of Longa. “It was something that was brought about because it was seen that a player was not wearing the exact same uniform as the rest of his teammates,” said the La Salle mentor. “I told my assistant coach to look at it because I’m not going to meddle with that aspect.”
Longa, who had tallied three points prior to the delay, said that he did not know what happened. “I wasn’t aware because I’ve been wearing this for the entire tournament,” he disclosed.
After almost ten minutes of deliberation, Longa was assessed an indirect technical foul for the violation while Longa changed his game shorts as well. The 18 year old Ilonggo ended the game with eight points, five scored in the third canto.
Longa was fascinated that the La Salle staff even noticed the small error but accepts that it’s part of the game. “I was like ‘nakita niyo pa po yun’ even I did not notice them but it’s part of the game.”
“We all understood that they were trying to stop the momentum. We just needed to focus on what we were doing,” he closed.
The Fighting Maroons lost the game 72-68.
