It may seem that it’s just the top spot at the end of the first round of UAAP Season 80 that’s at stake when La Salle and Ateneo clash on Sunday, but for reigning Most Valuable Player Ben Mbala, the game “means everything” for the defending champion Green Archers.
The fierce rivals are squaring off before an expected sellout crowd at Mall of Asia Arena for the first time since the finals last December when La Salle prevailed to clinch its second title in four years.
“It means everything,” Mbala told reporters after scoring 39 points in the 106-100 win over University of the East last Wednesday. “No matter what will happen when we step on the court, we’re just going to bring it until the last second. I don’t need to say anything about Ateneo-La Salle, it’s just blue versus green. It says it all.”
Tickets for the 4 p.m. game are sold separately from the other game pitting National U and University of the Philippines set at 12 noon.
A check at MoA Arena ticket booth showed only lower box, SRO and a handful of general admission tickets remain unsold as of Saturday afternoon, underscoring the allure of college basketball’s biggest rivalry.
More than the rivalry, the Blue Eagles are looking to preserve their unbeaten record, after roaring to six straight wins to start the season. The Archers are gunning for a third straight victory following a loss UP recently. —CEDELF P. TUPAS