Mbala relishes AfroBasket stint, but focus is now on La Salle

MANILA, Philippines — In just his first game back from the FIBA Africa Championship in Tunisia, reigning UAAP Most Valuable Player Ben Mbala showed just how much he has improved.

Mbala scored a UAAP career-high 32 points in De La Salle University's 85-73 win over Adamson University on Wednesday. He made 11 of his 16 field goals in the game, grabbed 10 rebounds, and blocked four shots to boot.

Ben Mbala had a career-high 32 points in his first game of UAAP Season 80. Josh Albelda, ABS-CBN Sports

The only blemish on his stat-line were his eight turnovers, but Mbala could be forgiven for those errors given how much he did for the Green Archers on Wednesday.

"Us, his coaches and even his teammates, we were expecting na ganito ang ilalaro (ni Ben)," said La Salle coach Aldin Ayo after Mbala powered La Salle to victory.

AfroBasket featured a "completely different level" of basketball, according to Mbala, and the big man learned a lot in his stint with Cameroon. Mbala was impressive in the tournament, averaging more than 21 points and nine rebounds in leading Cameroon to the quarterfinals.

Author: Camille B. Naredo, ABS-CBN News
Full Article: http://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/09/21/17/mbala-relishes-afrobasket-stint-but-focus-is-now-on-la-salle