UST's Abdul spared suspension

MANILA, Philippines - The University of the Santo Tomas Tigers will field a full roster when they start their showdown with five-peat-seeking Ateneo Blue Eagles for the UAAP Season 75 men’s basketball crown on Saturday as star center Karim Abdul escaped suspension despite incurring a second unsportsmanlike foul in the previous game. “Hindi suspended si Abdul (Abdul is not suspended),” commissioner Ato Badolato told The STAR yesterday. There were concerns that the 6-6 Abdul will have to sit out the finals opener after getting slapped with an unsportsmanlike foul (UF) for nudging an airborne Bobby Ray Parks, Jr. during the Final Four. It was Abdul’s second UF this season after getting one for hitting University of the East’s JR Sumido in an earlier eliminations assignment. Incurring two unsportsmanlike fouls “with intent to harm” merits a one-game suspension. But this was not the case for Abdul, explained Badolato. “Hindi naman meant to hurt yung unsportsmanlike foul (His unsportsmanlike foul against Parks was not meant to hurt),” he said. Abdul is UST’s main man this year, leading the Tigers in scoring (16.8 points a game), rebounds (11.9), steals (1.5) and blocks (1.9) while giving 1.9 assist per outing. The Tigers are looking to end a six-year spell against the top-seeded Blue Eagles who are gunning for their fifth straight crown before Norman Black leaves the coaching chores to handle Talk n Text in the PBA. Black, who had considered quitting early but was prevailed upon by his boss and former Ateneo supporter, Manny V. Pangilinan, to finish the season, stressed he continues to be focused on the remaining task at hand. “I haven’t really thought about it (last few games with Ateneo). It’s more about trying to prepare the team to the best of my ability, to give them the best chance of winning, and not about it being the last two, three games for me. “I’m staying within the moment, study UST, know how to beat them and convince my team to go out and execute the game plan. I’m not really thinking about the end of the road, even though I know it’s there,” he said. - By Olmin Leyba (Philstar News Service, www.philstar.com)