DEFENDING champion Lyceum Northwestern University (LNU) Dukes will seek to retain its crown in the 2010 PRISAA-UCAAP Inter-Collegiate Basketball Championship against the determined efforts University of Luzon Golden Tigers to wrest it as the best-of-three finals start on Wednesday at the Dagupan People’s Astrodome.

UL made it to the championship round after Jonathan Panunciar scored a game high19 points and forward Harold Deocares contributed 18 to power the Tigers past traditional rival University of Pangasinan-PHINMA Flames, 93-86, in a controversy-marred semi-final match last Thursday.

The Tigers, with a precarious lead in the first three quarters, 20-19, 46-42 and 67-59, found themselves in peril in the dying minutes of the game with the Flames engineering a 9-2 spurt that forced UL coach Renato Vidal to call a timeout.

Leading by just three points, 89-86, 1:09 left, after seldom-used Joshua Gutierrez split his two free throws, Flames assistant coach Renato Soriano was given two technical fouls due to misconduct that almost resulted in a free-for-all brawl. Panunciar converted all four free throws to seal the game at 93-86.

“As we expected, the referees again committed a lot of bum calls like in the past,” said the fuming Flames head coach Jay Ronquillo. “Even the spectators were infuriated because they know the rules. It’s very obvious these referees are inept and had no right to be there at the court,” he added.

Meanwhile LNU defeated Colegio de Dagupan Blue Stallions, 93-86, in an uncontroversial game because of good officiating by the three referees, Danny Villanueva, Ferdinand Mangonon and Conde Padillo.

The first championship game is set at around 2:30 p.m. The Flames tangle against the Stallions for third place at 1:00 p.m.- jag jr.

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