GROUND RULES VIOLATION: Top seeded semifinalist UCLM ousted with no games played

Sports

A SCINTILLATING run in the elimination round made the University of Cebu-Lapu-Lapu Mandaue (UCLM) Baby Webmasters the top seed in the semifinal round of the Cebu Schools Atheltic Foundation (Cesafi) Season secondary basketball tournament.

The semifinal battle has yet to start but UCLM has already been ousted from contention.

A violation committed by an expelled player came back to haunt the entire UCLM squad as the Cesafi board decided that the offense warranted forfeiture of some of the team’s games.

The issue stemmed from an infraction committed by Noel Lingoste, who was caught playing in a tournament in Maasin, Iloilo while the Cesafi season was ongoing.

Upong learning of Lingoste’s offense, UCLM acted swiftly by expelling the reliable guard from the team.

UCLM went on to finish the elimination round with eight wins and two losses–good for No. 1 seed going into the Final 4. The Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) Magis Eagles also finished with an 8-2 (win-loss) card but UCLM secured the top spot via the winner-over-the-other rule.

Acting on the inquiry by Jon Ralph Christopher Inot, athletic director of SHS-AdC, the league looked into the offense committed by Lingoste.

The league then ruled that Lingoste violated Rule II.5 of the Cesafi General Ground Rules that prohibits players from playing in other tournaments while the league is ongoing.

The league pointed out that the violation carries a penalty of forfeiture of the games where Lingoste played in.

The forfeiture was contested by UCLM coach Calib Gawangon. He countered that penalizing the entire team for the isolated infraction of one player is devoid of legal and factual basis.

Gawangon insisted that a team-wide sanction would only be reasonable if the UCLM coaching staff deliberately allowed the player to continue playing despite the knowledge of the violation.

In the decision signed by Cesafi Commissioner Felix Tiukinhuy, Deputy Commissioners Jesus Velez, Danilo Villadolid, and Micthell Duran, the league stood firm that the decision to forfeit seven of UCLM’s games was within the Cesafi General Ground Rules.

Six of the forfeited games were won by UC. One of the forfeited games was UCLM’s 71-64 win over the defending champions Magis Eagles.

With the forfeiture, UCLM’s record was adjusted to 3-7, yanking them out of the Final 4.

If it’s any consolation, UCLM’s sister team, the UC Main Baby Webmasters, moved up in the standings and will be the No. 2 seed in the semifinals. It was a big break for UC Main as it was not supposed to compete in the semis after finishing just fifth after the eliminations.

Also in the semis are the No. 1 seed Magis Eagles, No. 3 seed Cebu Eastern College Dragons, and the No. 4 seed Cebu Insititure of Technology-University Wildkittens.

The semifinals will start on Sunday, Dec. 7, with the Magis Eagles talking on the Wildkittens at 12:30 p.m. and the Baby Webmasters battling the Dragons at 2 p.m.

Ateneo and UC Main will be twice-to-beat against their separate foes.(CCM)