Loyzaga says it’s not about referees

MANILA, Philippines - UAAP commissioner Chito Loyzaga said players, not the referees, will decide the outcome of Game 3 of the senior men’s basketball championships at the Mall of Asia Arena today and advised the opposing teams to focus on their execution on the floor, not on how they perceive the calls may favor.

University of Santo Tomas drew first blood, 73-72, in the best-of-three Finals last Oct. 2 then De La Salle University evened the count, 77-70, in Game 2 last Saturday, paving the way for the winner-take-all decider.

“It’s a highly emotional series,” said Loyzaga, in his first year as UAAP commissioner. “Players make mistakes, coaches make mistakes and referees make mistakes. That’s part of the game. It’s not about the referees, it’s about the players. The key is not to lose focus. If you let calls affect your concentration, you’ll pay for it.”

Loyzaga said the frequency of fouls called on a team is not a gauge of partiality. “If you’re a team that takes a lot of outside shots, don’t expect to take too many free throws because you won’t get fouled often,” he said. “So if you’re up against a team that takes it inside and the referees are calling more fouls against you, rethink your strategy. Remember what happened in the Mapua-San Beda game in the NCAA a few days ago. I think San Beda got called for only one foul the entire first half. I don’t think San Beda got called for a single foul in the first quarter. But instead of complaining, Mapua focused on the game and won in an upset.”

Loyzaga said the games in the senior, junior and women’s competitions began with a pool of 30 to 40 referees. For the Final Four of each division, he trimmed the rotation to 16, picking only the outstanding arbiters to work the playoffs. “We just inherited the referees of before but as the season went on, we saw a great improvement in their work,” he said. “In the senior men’s Finals, I think Game 1 was a classic because it could’ve gone either way and the players decided it. Both teams deserve to be in the Finals. La Salle was unbeaten in the second round and UST survived a series of knockout games to make it. You couldn’t ask for a more exciting series.”

Asked if he’ll return as commissioner next season, Loyzaga was non-committal. “I’m looking forward to the end of the season so I can bring my dad to the golf course,” he said. “I’ll be playing and he’ll be following in a golf cart. As for my contract, it’s just for one season. I’m open to anything. But I think if the league wants to progress, there should be a long-term commitment. We need capacity-building for the referees and that’s something you do over a period of time. We should develop a pool of referees and commit to a development program. That will require an investment from the UAAP schools but if that’s what it takes to improve our officiating standards, then we should seriously consider it.”