EAC NCAA Vs Mapua In Bench-Clearing Brawl

An NCAA elimination round game was prematurely ended as a bench-clearing brawl broke out between the Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals and the Mapua Cardinals, two teams already eliminated from the playoff picture. General John Tayongtong brought down the ball and elbowed his defender CJ Isit. Instead of calling an obvious offensive foul, the referees refused to blow their whistles.Tayongtong and Isit have engaged each other in a heated matchup the entire fourth quarter, which reached its boiling point when the EAC guard appeared to shove the Mapua stalwart with an elbow that decked Isit in what proved to be the Generals’ final offensive play. Mapua’s Leo Gabo retaliated for his teammate by pushing Tayongtong, prompting Isit to get in between them, which led to him getting sucker punched instead. The referee declared the game over after both benches emptied with about 30 seconds left, because everyone knows you can't control things for long when Emilio Aguinaldo College and Mapúa Institute of Technology get together.The referee crew of Maynard Ballecer, Cholo Caoile, and Molly de Luna, as well as bouncers at the venue, were unable to keep the action from escalating. With almost every member of both teams ejected — only Jessie Saitanan of Mapua and Jozhua General of EAC did not join the brawl — NCAA commissioner Bai Cristobal was forced to halt the game.