JRU’s John Amores in tight spot following NCAA brawl
The matchup between College of St. Benilde (CSB) and Jose Rizal University (JRU) in the NCAA Season 98 men’s basketball tournament was halted on Tuesday after JRU player John Amores went berserk and punched four CSB players near the end of the game.
The fight broke out after a rebound play when CSB’s CJ Flores and JRU’s John Amores got entangled on the floor. leading to the JRU coaching staff assisting Amores out of the game to de-escalate the situation.
But that wasn’t the end of it as the Heavy Bomber player was next seen having a heated exchange with someone in the direction of the Blazers’ bench.
Before anyone could realize it, Amores ran all the way from the Bombers’ bench to the Blazers’ side and punched Mark Sangco, Jimboy Pasturan, Taine Davis, and Oczon one after the other. Amores knocked out Pasturan and Davis before he was restrained by security.
After an hour of deliberations, league officials agreed to have the game stopped in favor of the Blazers, 71-51, with 3:22 left to play.
This was not the first time that Amores had lost his cool and lashed out physically against rival players.
Months before this latest outburst, Amores figured in an endgame flare-up earlier in the season against Letran’s Kobe Monje. During the pre-season, he also threw a punch at University of the Philippines’ Mark Gil Belmonte resulting in his indefinite suspension in the PG Flex Linoleum-UCBL Preseason Tournament.
In a Facebook post dated November 8, NowheretogobutUP Foundation president Renan Dalisay disclosed that they have filed criminal charges against Amores following his earlier preseason punching incident with Belmonte.
“The unfortunate incident this afternoon where some CSB players were seriously injured could have been avoided if the school administration and the coaching staff of JRU acted swiftly on the matter. We expected JRU to take proactive steps. But since nothing came out of our efforts with the school’s administration, we were morally bound to file a criminal case against JRU player John Amores,” the Facebook post read.
The NCAA Management Committee, which is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, November 9, to decide on possible sanctions against Amores.
Netizens decried the failure of Amores to display sportsmanship and the apparent inaction of college sports authorities despite the player’s repeat offenses.
