Tounkara rues ejection

University of Santo Tomas center Mo Tounkara vowed to keep his emotions in check following his ejection during the Tigers’ 87-94 overtime loss to defending champion De La Salle University in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 87 men’s basketball tournament Wednesday night at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The Malian slotman is facing a potential one-game suspension after getting thrown out of the game with 3:38 left in regulation for a second technical foul infraction.

“Ah, man! I was too much in the game. Sometimes I have to control myself. I think, if I were there we would’ve had a much (better) chance to win this game,” Tounkara said after UST absorbed its second straight defeat with him watching helplessly in the dugout.

“I need to control myself sometimes. I got too much into the game.”

Tounkara said the team has prepared to appeal his case, which if denied, will sit him out of the Tigers’ rematch against Ateneo de Manila University on Saturday in their homecourt at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.

His ban will also disqualify him from any individual award this season.

The 6-foot-8 starter was caught taunting Mike Phillips following a good defensive stop that forced the Green Archer to travel. Tounkara clapped his hands too close to Phillips’ face, drawing the referee’s whistle for his fifth personal foul.

Tounkara got his first technical foul with 5:42 left in the opening canto when he flexed on La Salle’s Nigerian student-athlete Henry Agunanne following a contested layup.

The 21-year-old big man admitted that his emotions got the better of him during the game especially in the fourth period when UST was making a run to salvage the game that saw the Tigers trail by as many as 20 in the second quarter.

“That’s too much personally. I know I’m like this. Sometimes I get too into the game, but I have to control myself. It’s only about basketball but that’s too personal, you know,” he said.

“I have to control myself in these kinds of situations. We’re gonna be in these kinds of situations but I have to take control of that.”

Despite his exit, the Tigers managed to tie the game at 80 and even had one last attempt to win the game in regulation. However, Forthsky Padrigao missed a triple as time expired.

Padrigao could have given UST the lead but he split his charities before the team’s last possession.

“That really shows that we have a pretty good team this year. We keep growing and keep getting better every day. That’s what I can see from the team. I think through our preparation we’re going to do much better and I’m looking forward to our next five games,” Tounkara said.

UST holds a 4-5 win-loss record at fourth spot.