First year University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers head coach Boy Sablan was more than disappointed on Sunday afternoon. And it was not just because of the 43-point beatdown they had suffered at the hands of the league-leading De La Salle University Green Archers.
Basketball is a game of momentum, as coaches would say. A call here and there can switch the tides of a contest. For Sablan, he has had enough.
“Okay lang, okay lang kasi napigil kami sa mga tawag noong first quarter, nakita naman,” UST’s mentor said about the 99-56 loss UST absorbed.
During the first quarter of the game, the referees allegedly botched a goaltending call on Abu Tratter on a William Afoakwah attempt.
“Sinabi sa akin ng referee, inamin nila na mali yung goaltending. Anong mangyayari, sabi ko, wala namang magagawa. Inaamin nila ang mga mali nila,” he shared.
In the second quarter of the game, Sablan then alleged that Ricci Rivero should have been called for travelling. The UST head coach protested the non-call that resulted in a technical foul.
“Hindi raw traveling yung kay Ricci Rivero. Sabi ko pa-splice natin, tingnan natin kung ano ang nangyari talaga,” he said. “Halftime, kinausap ko sila, sabi ko tambak na nga kami, ganyan pa ang tawagan?”
After being called for 13 fouls in the opening half compared to La Salle’s eight, the Growling Tigers ended up with just 23 fouls compared to their opponents’ 28.
“Pero tingnan niyo noong huli, tawag ng tawag nung fourth quarter. kaunting dikit, tumatawag,” he attested. “Wala na eh. Pero nung first quarter, noong lamang kami, ayaw tumawag. Patay.”
“Ako, I’ve been good to officiating, wala akong mine-mention sa kanila na bias sila or what. Pero this time, ang gusto ko lang sabihin, alam natin yung galaw nila, ng mga referee na yan.
“Ako sasabihin ko, alam ko yung mga galaw na yan. Ang tagal ko sa UAAP, kilala ko silang lahat. Kahit i-sulat niyo yan,” he added.
“Alam nila yan. Hindi ko ma-ano ang galawan nila kung anong klaseng tawagan ang gusto nila. Kung sinasabi sa akin ng mga referee, wala kaming pinapaburan dito, sila may sabi niyan. Wala kayong pinapaburan? oo, wala nga kayong pinapabarun pero mali-mali ang tawag niyo.”
For Sablan, he does not want to stay silent about what he thinks are blatant errors on the referee’s side.
“Kilala ko yang galawan nila rito. Alam ko yan, sa tagal ko ba naman sa UAAP, seven years, eighth year ko ngayon,” he said. “Alam ko lahat. di nila ako pwedeng ano na ite-technical nila ako nang ganun-ganun lang, Gusto nila ako patahimikin? Eh mali na sila?”
“I’m sorry pero sa mga referee, kahit isulat niyo yan.”
