Witness claimed the scuffle broke out near the first quarter after Arana attempted a coast-to-coast layup on a fastbreak and was met hard in the air by the bull-strong Villanueva.
“Pisikal ang laro eh. Tapos less than twenty seconds in the first quarter, nag fastbreak si Ryan pero bagsak siya sa depensa ni Rico,” said a Rain or Shine official who witnessed the incident but refused to be named.
“Actually sabi ni Ryan, paangat pa lang daw siya, naka-abang na yung siko ni Rico. Kaya siya naman, nag-umang rin ng siko… Sabay silang bumagsak.
“Pagbagsak nila sa sahig, para silang mga manok na panabong. Antimano, nagkana agad,” said the official.
Another source told Spin.ph Arana later threw the ball hard at former Ateneo star Villanueva, who retailed by punching the Rain or Shine in the face.
"Sumapak din si Arana," said the source.
Arana, a former La Salle Green Archer, suffered a bloodied nose while Villanueva ended up with a bruise on his eyebrows, another source claimed. Both players also suffered minor bruises before they were separated by players from both sides.
Bad blood between Arana and Villanueva is no longer new to basketball fans as the two were part of the brawl that marred one of the La Salle-Ateneo games back in the early 2000.