Board retains Lipa, denies Ateneo plea

The UAAP board yesterday did not accept the courtesy resignation offered by commissioner Joe Lipa and at the same time turned down Ateneo’s appeal for a replay of its fight-marred Final Four contest with arch-rival La Salle last Thursday at the Araneta Coliseum.

Lipa offered to quit to give the board a free hand in handling the issue and probably save himself from accusations that his being a former Ateneo coach and present commissioner might have some influence on the matter. Lipa was the Blue Eagles coach for three years until the end of the 2001 season.

Jose Capistrano of Ateneo, this year’s board president, and Danny Jose of La Salle, the vice president, inhibited themselves from yesterday’s meeting at Club Filipino. The board then unanimously rejected Lipa’s resignation, saying the latter "has continued to carry his task efficiently as league commissioner."

Lipa offered to resign three days after Ateneo and La Salle figured in a fight-marred contest won by the Green Archers in overtime, 76-72. The victory against the twice-to-beat Blue Eagles forced a knockout match tomorrow with the winner earning the right to face the FEU Tamaraws in the best-of-three finals starting Oct. 2.

Ateneo players LA Tenorio and Badjie del Rosario along with coaching staff member Bob Marquicias were slapped one-game suspensions together with La Salle cager Ryan Araña and assistant team manager Manny Salgado. They are all barred from entering the Big Dome tomorrow.

The Blue Eagles, however, filed an appeal that La Salle’s Jerwin Gaco be included in the list of suspended players for his misconduct during the game. And at the same time, Ateneo called for a replay of the game from the time the fight erupted — 1:31 left in the final half and Ateneo protecting a 65-63 lead.

Ateneo cited a FIBA (International Basketball Federation) ruling that in case of bench-clearing incidents, all players who left their respective benches and figured in the melee should be ejected. If this rule was followed, sources at the meeting said only five La Salle players and eight from Ateneo were to be allowed to resume play.

But the fact that coaches Joel Banal of Ateneo and Franz Pumaren of La Salle verbally agreed to resume the game, after the ejections and technical fouls were announced by the coliseum barker, meant that both teams have waived the application of the particular FIBA rule.

"Both coaches categorically replied (to a question by the commissioner if they wanted to resume the game) that they wanted to continue the game to its conclusion. Thus, the game was resumed. The categorical agreement of both coaches is a waiver on the part of both teams, rendering the FIBA rule moot and academic," the board said.

Another FIBA ruling on bench-clearing incidents states that if not enough players are left on both sides as a result of the ejections, the game will no longer resume and the team in front will have to be declared the winner.

Trouble started when Tenorio punched Gaco in the ribcage after the latter forced a jump-ball situation against the Ateneo quarterback in front of the Ateneo bench. Gaco then nudged Tenorio, triggering the bench-clearing incident where almost the entire La Salle team stormed the Ateneo camp.

The board said the fact that Gaco was slapped a technical foul was enough penalty.