UAAP board to rule on cager’s eligibility

The UAAP board is expected to come up with a decision regarding controversial La Salle cager Mark Cardona soon as it hopes to receive the player’s transcript of records from Carson High School in California anytime this week.

A senior board member told The STAR yesterday that Carson High assistant principal Jeff Davis has informed Gilda Uy, dean of University of the Philippines Department of Human Kinetics, last week that he already sent Cardona’s certified transcript of records. The document is expected to reach the board this week.

"We’ve already been informed by Jeff Davis, who is assistant principal of Carson High, last Friday that he already sent via airmail the documents we requested from them," said the source.

"Dean Uy will immediately inform the board if the transcript arrives and from there, we will compare that document from the one showed to us by La Salle," the board member added.

Meanwhile, Froilan Baguion came through with a spectacular performance to power National University to a come-from-behind 72-69 victory over University of Santo Tomas yesterday in the 64th UAAP basketball tournament at the Ateneo Gym.

Bucking a sloppy start, Baguion exploded in the third quarter, firing 11 of his 18 points to key the Bulldogs’ fightback from 16 points down.

Ephraim Tolentino kept the Tigers’ head above water, 55-53, before Emerson Oreta came up with a triple and rookie Rene De Guzman scored on an undergoal shot to give UST another 60-53 cushion.

However, Baguion had other things in mind.

The King Bulldog led another NU run, this time a 13-0 blitz that shoved the Bulldogs to a 66-60 lead although the Tigers bounced back with their own 9-3 attack to draw level at 69-all.

A wide open lay-up by skipper Ohico Manabat, a split charity by Jeff Napa and a timely defensive stop by the duo of Baguion and Manabat practically took the fight out of the Tigers as the Bulldogs firmed up its Final Four bid with a 6-4 (win-loss) slate.

UST, which stunned Ateneo De Manila, 62-55, last Saturday, absorbed its sixth defeat against four wins.

In the other game, Ateneo survived Adamson, 63-61, for its eighth win in 10 games.

Jojo Hate had two chances of forcing overtime but failed to convert as the Falcons remained winless in 10 matches.