NCAA sacks Pirates Francisco, Ambohot

MANILA, Philippines - The NCAA suspended two more Lyceum players for their unsportsmanlike act in the team’s 76-83 defeat to Emilio Aguinaldo College in the first round elims of the 89th NCAA men’s basketball tournament at The Arena in San Juan City last Saturday.

Mark Francisco and Joseph Ambohot both got a minimum one-game ban for their disqualifying fouls on EAC rookie Sidney Onwubere in the second half of their game against the Generals.

“They were disqualified, so one game suspension minimum,” league commissioner Joe Lipa told The STAR yesterday.

Francisco punched Onwubere in the stomach then Ambohot hit him in the head several plays later.

Francisco and Ambohot were the fourth and fifth Lyceum players suspended after team captain Andrei Mendoza, Dexter Zamora and Tirso Lesmoras Jr.

Mendoza and Lesmoras already served their one-game suspensions while Zamora was assessed a three-game ban for his unsportsmanlike act in the team’s loss to St. Benilde, 69-75, last week.

Francisco, Ambohot and Zamora will thus sit out Lyceum’s next game against Jose Rizal University on Aug. 15, also at The Arena in San Juan.