Mbala champ, MVP after long wait

MANILA, Philippines – It was certainly worth the wait for newly minted UAAP MVP and champion Ben Mbala.

After watching helplessly on the stands for three years, the Cameroonian finally got to suit up for La Salle and help the Green Archers make a near-perfect run to the coveted UAAP LXXIX men’s basketball title.

“If you saw me before the game, I was crying; after the game, I was crying. I was full of emotions from being on the sidelines to playing and now winning the championship for La Salle,” said Mbala.

A transferee from Southwestern U in Cebu, the 6-foot-8 Mbala redshirted for DLSU for an obligatory two years. With that done, he was supposed to start playing in 2015 but was required to spend an extra year in residence after being found to have violated rules by playing in a non-sanctioned league.

Given the greenlight this year, he debuted with vengeance, putting in double-double outputs in all the 17 games he played and earning the Season MVP in the process. 

Now he’s a certified UAAP champion and is ready for more next season.

“Of course, we’re gunning for a repeat. We’re not contended with one win. We always want to be on top and we’ll do what it takes to stay on top,” he said.