Altas protest Cardinals close win

MANILA, Philippines - Perpetual Help will file an official protest on its 71-74 loss to Mapua last Monday, citing three grounds, including seeking the disqualifying foul on its Nigerian center Femi Babayemi reduced to a flagrant foul.

A source from the Las Piñas-based school told The STAR that they are contesting Babayemi’s foul in the first quarter that led to his ejection.

Second, the foul on Jett Vidal down the stretch even before he received the ball should have been called a flagrant foul instead of a regular foul.

“This should have been an unsportsmanlike foul with penalty of two gift shots plus ball possession but on this case Perpetual was given just two free throws and the ball back to Mapua,” the source said.

Lastly, the jump ball that was called even though Perpetual Help felt its guard Earl Thompson was hammered.

Perpetual Help, however, was a little bit particular on the Babayemi issue since the disqualifying foul would mean the 6-7 center will serve at least a one-game suspension and will have to sit out in its next game against Lyceum in Subic Bay on Sept. 25.

“Perpetual Help is hoping the foul will be downgraded to a flagrant instead of the disqualifying foul because he (Babayemi) has no intention to hurt,” said the same source.