FOLLOWING what the UAAP officials has described as a “dangerous non-basketball play,” National University (NU) Bulldogs’ Gelo Santiago was handed a five-game suspension on Monday.

The top-seeded Bulldogs may need to find a substitute for one of their key defensive rotation players in Santiago, as he will be unavailable for the remainder of the second round of the eliminations.

According to league officials—after reviewing the sequence—the action involved a “struck on the back of the head with his right forearm while Espina was in a prone position, which resulted in his disqualification.”

The incident on Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) Blue Eagles’ Waki Espina, occurred at the 8:50 mark of the third quarter, where Santiago was assessed a disqualifying foul in NU’s 64-50 victory on Sunday.

“After a review, the UAAP Season 88 Basketball Commissioner’s Office deemed Santiago’s conduct unsportsmanlike and considered the act dangerous,” the added on their statement.

Before his ejection, Santiago recorded one rebound in 10 minutes of play. The NU forward can only make a return if the Bulldogs secure a Final Four berth—which remains likely—as they currently lead the standings with a 7-2 win-loss slate.

The hard-nosed wingman will begin serving his suspension on Sunday, November 2, when NU faces the surging De La Salle University Green Archers at the SM Mall of Asia Arena—a crucial second-round matchup.

He will also miss games against Adamson University on November 8, Far Eastern University on November 12, University of the East on November 15, and University of Santo Tomas on November 23.

Just a few games prior, Santiago was involved in another incident with DLSU’s Mason Amos, when he accidentally landed on the latter’s knee—an unfortunate play that resulted in Amos suffering an MCL tear during their Round 1 meeting.

Meanwhile, the UAAP Basketball Commissioner’s Office will remain open to any formal National University filing of a motion for reconsideration regarding the suspension.