‘That’s college basketball’: Mbala prepared for physicality in UAAP

Ben Mbala. Photo from Filoil Flying V Sports Facebook account.

He started his career as a lanky big man for Southwestern University in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, and now Ben Mbala is going to be tested with a whole new brand of physicality in the UAAP.

The Nigerian center got a preview of that on Friday when his Green Archers beat University of the East 97-75 in a physical affair, but the scoreboard is just a part of the greater story.

“Personally I heard the physicality is way stronger here than in Cesafi so I had to build my body up,” Mbala said.

Playing for 34 minutes, Mbala was in the floor when most of the total 58 fouls were whistled, some of were deemed unsportsmanlike as the Green Archers and Red Warriors got testy with each other.

Mbala, though, knows physicality is all part of the game.

“It was, I won’t say dirty, that’s college basketball, the referees won’t be able to get the right calls every time,” Mbala said as he finished with 24 points, 15 rebounds, four blocks, and two steals. “”We just focused on the game and take care of business.”