MANILA, Philippines — Ateneo de Manila University head coach Louie Alas has been handed a one-game suspension following the accumulation of three infractions during the UAAP Season 89 Collegiate Men’s Basketball Tournament.
Alas will sit out the Blue Eagles' upcoming matchup against the Far Eastern University Tamaraws on Saturday, October 10, at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
According to the UAAP Commissioner’s Office, two of the infractions stemmed from Ateneo’s heated rivalry game against De La Salle University on Wednesday. At the 3:42 mark of the fourth quarter, assistant coach Kerby Raymundo was seen verbally taunting La Salle’s Vhoris Marasigan from the bench. Consequently, Coach Alas was assessed a bench technical foul.
At the same mark in the fourth quarter, a video review by the Commissioner’s Office revealed physical misconduct by Alas involving opposing players. The head coach forcefully attempted to pull a DLSU player to his feet and subsequently nudged another opposing player with his elbow. Although the sequence went uncalled by on-court game officials, post-game review deemed the conduct a disqualifying foul under UAAP House Rules and FIBA regulations.
Alas’ first recorded infraction occurred on September 19 against the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, where a technical foul assessed to Raymundo for improper bench decorum was charged to Alas as head coach.
Ateneo de Manila University retains the right to appeal the suspension before Saturday’s contest. TMT
