He Who Fights and Runs Away...

From the Shoot-Yourself-In-The-Foot Department:

Joseph Yeo turned an otherwise very good exhibition "dream game" between Ateneo and DLRT last Thursday into something from The Twilight Zone. Or Ultimate Fighting.

The teams were composed of alumni now playing in the PBA and active varsity players. It appeared that both teams wanted to win, despite its billing as a mere exhibition game. It was just another game, before Enrico Villanueva's elbow found Joseph Yeo's shoulder off a rebound play with 10:27 left in the third quarter. Yeo decided to make things exciting by pausing for a second and hitting Villanueva in the face with his forearm. He then promptly ran away. As per PBA rules, Yeo was expectedly thrown out of the game.

PBA commissioner Noli Eala remarked that "[Yeo's] actions will have a big bearing on his eligibility in the draft." He added "We are already studying our options. One, to disqualify him from the (rookie) draft. Two, make him ineligible for some time. Three, let him be drafted then suspend him." Chot Reyes, who coached Ateneo, when asked about the incident said "What I feel is not fit for print."

Ateneo wanted to end the game right there and then, but according to Reyes "the organizers decided to just let the pros to continue, so that settled it." The varsity players were all benched thereafter.

The ending was one for the books. DLRT mounted a spirited comeback late in the fourth quarter to lead by three with less than two minutes left. Wesley Gonzales, who could not sink a single shot the whole game, drained a three (but not after Macmac Cardona bit into his fake so hard that Gollum found himself out of bounds) off the left corner to tie the game at 85.

After the DLRT inbounds pass, Gonzales then harassed Ritualo into turning the ball over with nine seconds remaining in the game.

Ateneo milked the clock before Olsen Racela passed to Villanueva who launched, and sank, a three-point basket at the buzzer. Game over, 88-85.

Larry Fonacier led all players with 30 points. Villanueva scored 27.

ATENEO 88--Fonacier 30, Villanueva 27, Alvarez 12, Bugia 6, Gonzales 4, Intal 4, Chia 3, Tenorio 2, Racela 0, Kramer 0, Hizon 0, Aguilar 0.
LA SALLE 85--Allado 18, Cardona 14, Telan 11, Ritualo 13, Cortez 8, Yeo 7, Araña 6, Limpot 4, Cuan 2, Cabatu 2, Maierhofer 0, Wilson 0.
Quarters: 20-22, 44-37, 62-56, 88-85