Before being a La Salle coach and competitor, Topex Robinson is first and foremost, a father.
So when he heard about University of the East’s Wello Lingolingo being slapped with a three-game suspension for his unsportsmanlike foul on Green Archer Kean Baclaan, he sympathized with the young swingman.
‘The coach and competitor in me thinks that obviously, he deserves to be suspended but the father in me is pardoning the committee to lower the [suspension of] games because he’s not really a bad player,’ Robinson said after their 72-69 win over the University of the Philippines at Araneta Coliseum on Sunday. ‘Those incidents really happen and hopefully he’s given a chance to return (earlier) because three games is going to be huge for him. I know he made his mistakes but I hope they give him a chance and lessen the suspension.’
Lingolingo was sanctioned by the UAAP for his unsportsmanlike foul and subsequent ejection in UE’s 111-110 overtime loss to La Salle on Wednesday after his unfortunate fall on Baclaan.
The Red Warrior’s fall on Baclaan’s knees, unfortunately, resulted in the latter’s MCL injury, which would keep him sidelined for a number of months.
Aside from Lingolingo, UE coach Chris Gavina was also given a four-game suspension for his post-game rant involving profanity-laced statements made to UAAP officials.
Earlier, UE played without Lingolingo and Gavina only to succumb to a 95-76 beatdown at the hands of Far Eastern University.