By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
THE University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons, currently sporting a 2-1 record, get tested anew in Season 80 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) when they collide with defending champions De La Salle Green Archers powered by the returning Ben Mbala this weekend.
Set for tomorrow at 4 p.m. at the Mall of Asia Arena, third-running UP will get a shot at still-unblemished La Salle which became all the more formidable with the return of reigning league most valuable player Mbala after playing for the national team of Cameroon in the recent FIBA AfroBasket tournament.
Cameroonian Mbala made his Season 80 debut for the Archers last Wednesday where he helped his team to an 85-73 win over the Adamson Soaring Falcons, finishing with 32 points and 10 rebounds in 33 minutes on the floor.
While La Salle already posted a challenge as it is sans Mbala, Maroons coach Bo Perasol said that with the MVP in tow the task got all the more tough for them.
Just the same, he said they are not backing down from the challenge and would prepare well to give the Archers a good fight just as he expressed hope that their own foreign player, Ibrahim Ouattara of Mali, would have a good game of his own and farewell against Mbala.
“Well Ibrahim is a member of the national team of Mali so I guess we will have Cameroon versus Mali,” said Mr. Perasol in jest following their latest victory over the University of the East (UE), 84-71, last Sunday.
“But kidding aside, I think it’s going to be tough against La Salle but I’ll take our chances against them,” he added.
On the part of Ouattara, who nearly missed his chance to play in the UAAP when the league initially ruled him ineligible to play over his residency, he said he is looking forward to facing Mbala in the UAAP for the first time.
He admits that some of the attention would be channeled to their matchup but believes that at the end of the day it all boils down to team play.
“Facing Ben will be a good match and experience for me. He’s a good player but for me it’s not what I can do but more of what we can do as a team. That’s our goal,” Ouattara said.
Against UE last time around, the Maroons rode the hot hands of veteran Paul Desiderio to notch their second win in three games so far in the brand-new season of the UAAP.
Desiderio top-scored for UP with 28 points, 16 coming in the key third quarter where they overtook the Warriors and never looked back, to go along with 10 rebounds.
Ouattara had 14 points and 18 rebounds while Jun Manzo had 10 and Javi Gomez de Liano had nine points.
Also seeing action tomorrow in the UAAP at 2 p.m. are the University Growling Tigers (0-3) and Far Eastern University Tamaraws (1-2).
On Sunday it will be UE (0-3) against the Ateneo Blue Eagles (3-0) at 2 p.m. and National University Bulldogs (2-1) versus Adamson Soaring Falcons (1-2). Venue is the Mall of Asia Arena.