Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Facing a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter, La Salle could’ve just let Ateneo sweep the elimination round of UAAP Season 80.
After all, with the Final Four seedings already set, the Green Archers would benefit more from a stepladder semifinals had the Blue Eagles completed a sweep.
But rivalries run deep and the players would be the first to attest that duels between La Salle and Ateneo are never no-bearing games.
“We just wanted to win. We didn’t quit,” said La Salle star Ben Mbala.
Ateneo seemed on its way to victory when it took a 76-69 lead with only 2:24 left.
The Archers, though, still had a lot of fight in them as they staged a 10-0 blast en route to a 79-76 win.
“Coach told us, never give up,” Mbala said. “We kept pushing and we just gave our everything and we left the rest to God, and it was able to help us win the game.”
Mbala was sensational once again as the reigning MVP posted 28 points, 19 rebounds, six steals, and six blocks, while Ricci Rivero had 21 markers and five boards. The two combined for 19 of the team’s 25 points in the final frame.
“Maybe, we just wanted it more than them. They took the lead, but our sense of urgency was there that we believed we can still win because we worked hard for this,” said Rivero.
“That’s what we plan to do for the next few games. Play hard and leave the rest to God,” he said.