Ebona rues Chabi Yo ‘flop’ caused early exit in final game

MANILA, Philippines – Barkley Ebona certainly did not expect his collegiate career to end the way it did. 

With 1:19 left in the 2nd quarter of a heated knockout game between the FEU Tamaraws and UST Growling Tigers, the graduating big man was assessed his second unsportsmanlike after elbowing the face of newly minted MVP Soulemane Chabi Yo. 

As a result, Ebona was promptly ejected from the game. And with FEU eventually losing, 71-81, that unceremoniously marked the end of his collegiate career.

With nothing else to lose, the 6-foot-6 big man did not hold back in the postgame presser for the graduating FEU players. 

“Para sa akin, flop lang yun e,” he said as he was joined by fellow seniors Ino Comboy, Hubert Cani and Kimlee Bayquin. “Naka-hands up lang ako tapos nung pagharap niya, biglang humiga siya tapos tayo kaagad.

“Parang ang nipis naman nun para ma-thrown out agad. Matatanggap ko pa yun kung foul lang yun. Aamin ko yun pero yung thrown out agad, kalokohan ‘yun.” 

(For me that was a flop. I just put my hands up and when he turned around, he suddenly laid down and quickly got back up. It was a like a tight call for me to be thrown out. I could accept it if it was a normal foul. I’ll admit that, but for me to be thrown out, that’s silly.) 

Due to his early exit, Ebona finished the game just as he was heating up, with 9 points and 7 rebounds in just 13 minutes of action.

“Masakit kasi siyempre alam ko senior ako e,” he continued. “Dapat role model ako sa team ko. Sinabi ni coach sa amin na dapat yung mga seniors ‘yung hindi dapat unang mawalan ng disiplina.

“Masakit lang na sa last game ko, hindi ako naka-exit nang maayos. Hindi ko man lang nakanta hymn namin.” 

(It’s painful because I know I’m a senior. I should be the role model to my team. Our coach told us that the seniors should not be the first ones to lose discipline. It’s painful that I wasn’t able to exit properly in my last game. I wasn’t even able to sing our hymn.) 

Although he has plans laid out for himself moving forward, Ebona is looking to just take his mind of basketball for now. 

“Siguro [PBA draft] pero iniisip ko ngayon bakasyon muna pangtanggal lang ng sakit,” he said. “Pero oo, papa-draft na ko.” 

(I think I’ll enter the PBA Draft, but I’m thinking of taking a vacation first just to ease the pain. But yes, I’ll enter the draft.)

Ebona finished his UAAP career with averages of 6.9 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists on 59% shooting for Season 82. – Rappler.com