Two Cards under fire for flagrant fouls

National Collegiate Athetic Association (NCAA) commissioner Jun Bernardino has recommended suspension for Mapua’s Jofferson Gonzales and Kelvin dela Peña for their flagrant fouls in the Cardinals’ 56-73 setback to the San Beda Red Lions Wednesday.

Gonzales was assessed a deliberate foul on Nigerian behemoth Samuel Ekwe in the fourth quarter. He was also seen on video planting an elbow on Ekwe.

Dela Peña, last season’s top rookie, for his part, committed the flagrant foul on rookie John Escobal in a second quarter action.

The league’s management committee (Mancom), chaired by Paul Supan of Jose Rizal, will deliberate on the two cases. If they ruled for suspension, Gonzales and dela Peña will sit out Mapua’s final elimination round game against Philippine Christian U on Wednesday.

To date, the Mancom has suspended a total of seven players including Lions Escobal, Rogemar Menor and recently Riego Gamalinda.

Escobal was the first to be suspended after two board members saw him hitting Bryan Faundo of Letran with a closed fist.

The board later downgraded the decision to a warning after San Beda rector Fr. Anwar Chopungco, OSB, appealed the case,

Then came Menor, a former high school MVP as a Red Cub, and his backup Gamalinda. Both were assessed flagrant fouls that led to their suspension.

The other players suspended this season were Jose Rizal’s Alvin Se, San Sebastian’s John Raymundo and Gilbert Bulawan and Philippine Christian U’s Lei Navarro.

Meanwhile, Jose Rizal takes on St. Benilde at 2 p.m. and Perpetual Help tackles San Sebastian at 4 p.m. in a pair of non-bearing contest.

The Bombers, the Altas and the Stags are bunched at fifth spot on 4-9 (win-loss) slates while the Blazers are at the bottom with a 2-11 card.

The Lions have clinched the top seeding in the Final Four with a 12-1 record while the Knights, the defending champions, followed suit with a 10-3 card. — Joey Villar