BY ABBY TORALBA
THE NCAA has seen the last of ace Letran playmaker Fran Yu.
This after the league turned down the appeal of the reigning champions Knights over Yu’s one-game suspension that takes effect in Game 3 of the title series.
The NCAA announced late Tuesday night in a statement that it has denied Letran’s plea to lift the ban on the veteran guard with “no new evidence presented by CSJL as required by the NCAA rules to lift the suspension.”
Furthermore, “CSJL did not contest the judgment call of the game officials.”
Earlier, Letran assistant coach Jaren Jarencio told the Philippine Sportswriters Association forum that they have appealed the penalty against Yu, a key cog in the Knights’ three-peat bid.
Yu was ejected in the Game 2 of the best-of-three finals last Sunday after he elbowed College of St. Benilde forward Mark Sangco midway through the second quarter.
The disqualifying foul called on Yu merited an automatic one-game suspension.
A former finals MVP in 2019, the 5-foot-10 Yu will sit out the winner-take-all Game 3 on Sunday, Dec. 18, at the Ynares Center in Antipolo — supposedly his swan song.
Yu, 24, only played eight minutes and 10 seconds and produced six points and one steal in Game 2.
Yu, during Letran’s Paskong Arriba 2022 event held two days ago, requested their fans to cheer and support for the Knights in the third game.
