Naveen Ganglani
CHALK IT UP. Ben Mbala (L) was all over the floor in DLSU's victory over UP. Photo by Josh Abelda/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – Thomas Torres found an opening to the lane and threw up the ball, which was caught and slammed by Ben Mbala for the alley-oop. On the next play, UP turned the ball over, giving Mbala a free run to the rim for another slam. It was that kind of a game for University of the Philippines.
Led by a stat-sheet stuffing performance by Mbala, the DLSU Green Archers improved to 2-0 in UAAP Season 79 after defeating the UP Fighting Maroons, 89-71, on Saturday, September 10, at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.
Mbala, DLSU’s big man from Cameroon, finished with 30 points, 14 rebounds, and two blocks, while Abu Tratter and Jeron Teng pitched in 12 points apiece. La Salle shot 49% from the floor and forced 34 UP turnovers.
The Maroons dropped to 0-2. Paul Desiderio led them on Saturday with 21 points and 7 rebounds while Jett Manuel added 13 points and 3 assists. UP, which was out-scored 33-18 in the deciding third period, trailed by as much as 28. – Rappler.com
