Pumaren blames officiating for loss

By Tito Talao - Manila Bulletin - September 26, 2008

Franz Pumaren, the De La Salle coach, was shouting above the din of the frenzied Ateneo Blue Eagles celebration in the UAAP Finals.

"It was like a script for Ateneo to win," a bitter Pumaren told sportswriters after the 62-51 loss, unmindful of the consequences of his statement.

"I don’t want to sound like I’m sour-graping, but the referees practically gave them the trophy."
Pumaren’s voice rose and ebbed in anger, his demeanor stern, his pace frantic.

"This is the worst officiated game I’ve ever seen," he said. "The referees decided the game. They didn’t even allow us to play. They robbed all those people out there of a great game."

Pumaren has won five UAAP titles in 10 years for La Salle. But the absence of dominating players like Joseph Yeo, Renren Ritualo, Mark Cardona, Ty Tang and Don Allado this season told heavily on the Green Archers, who were swept by their hated arch-rivals in all four games they met, twice in the best-of-three series.

"I’ve been in the finals so long and I’ve lost a few championships, but I’ve rarely criticized officiating. But this is really the worst," Pumaren said, continuing his harangue. "They wouldn’t allow us to play defense, didn’t even give us a chance."

Pumaren was specifically incensed at the second technical foul slapped on Rico Maierhofer for apparently flipping a middle finger at Ateneo center Rabeh Al-Hussaini with 1:31 left in the third quarter and La Salle within, 49-43.

"How could they make a call like that so crucial in the game?" said Pumaren. "How can they take away a player over something like that?"

After debating the merits of their call and consulting video footage of the play, the referees stuck to their decision, resulting into Maierhofer’s ejection.

Al-Hussaini made one of two technical free throws, and although the Green Archers came within 50-47 on James Mangahas’ 3-point shot and on pure emotion, the absence of Maierhofer, and the subsequent disqualification on fouls of JV Casio, ultimately broke the Green Archers.

Even before the final buzzer went off, former La Salle players slowly left their ringside seats, among them Yeo and Mike Cortez.

Standing glassy-eyed by the baseline was Dino Aldeguer, while Carlo Sharma, Al-Hussaini’s half-brother, leaned against the lower box wall, hidden from view.

Outside the locker room, Pumaren continued to speak with a couple of reporters as the Green Archers piled defiantly one after the other to the dugout.

"Sayang, sayang talaga," he said.