Top officials of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) yesterday expressed confidence and full support to the Philippine Basketball League (PBL) and its pool of referees officiating the 84th NCAA season.

NCAA Management Committee (MANCOM) chairman Ding Lozano of host school Mapua said yesterday that the country’s oldest collegiate league is fully behind the referees, as well as technical officials despite efforts by some quarters to discredit their work.

PBL Commissioner Chino Trinidad actually ordered the withdrawal of game officials for Game 3 of the Finals between and Jose Rizal University and defending champion San Beda College today at the Araneta Coliseum.

However, Lozano said that talks are still ongoing to convince the PBL to reconsider its decision.

“The NCAA is optimistic that the PBL will allow its referees to officiate Game 3 of the Finals,” Lozano said.

Trinidad, in his letter to the NCAA, said that game officials are being used as scapegoats by some losing teams.

The Red Lions won the series opener, 62-58, while the Heavy Bombers took Game 2, 62-60.

Trinidad criticized influential individuals who are spreading malicious information regarding the PBL referees.

“We are doing so to save our league from the intrigues and malicious minds of supposedly enlightened and powerful individuals both within your organization and from the outside,” Trinidad said.

“The PBL prides itself in training its referees to the utmost, spending considerable sums of money to make sure they are more than qualified to exercise their profession. We usually do not officiate games outside our own league but made an exception in the case of the NCAA because they are fellow stakeholders (with the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas) and had made the proper representations,” he added.

Trinidad did not name names, but a reliable source, who requested anonymity, said that SBP executive-director Noli Eala called Trinidad last Saturday, saying that the referees should be “fair in officiating the NCAA finals.”

The call came after SBC lost to JRU in Game 2.

SBP president Manny V. Pangilinan is the chief backer of the Red Lions.