Mbala, Tratter power Archers past Warriors

Reigning league Most Valuable Player Ben Mbala and frontcourt buddy Abu Tratter dished out career performances as La Salle turned back University of the East, 106-100, last night in the 80th UAAP men’s basketball tournament at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.

The 6-foot-7 Mbala registered a new personal high for the third time this season, finishing with 39 points on a near flawless 10-of-12 shooting from the field, while the 6-foot-5 Tratter provided enough lift off the bench with 24 points on top of 10 rebounds.

Their combined offensive brilliance highlighted what turned out to be another stellar show of force by the Archers, who racked up their second straight win for a 5-1 card to build enough momentum ahead of their thrilling collision with the undefeated Ateneo Eagles on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

“For 36 minutes, we played really good. Except for the last four minutes, we kinda relaxed a bit,” said La Salle assistant coach Miggy Solitaria after UE tried hard to fight its way back from a 25-point deficit.

UE dug deeper in the cellar with its sixth straight loss to join University of Santo Tomas, but the Red Warriors could find solace with the 49-point explosion from Alvin Pasaol.

The 6-foot-3 Pasaol knocked down 20 of his 30 attempts from the field including five triples as he shattered the 15-year-old record set by current Letran coach Jeff Napa, who fired 43 points spiked by 10 treys in National University’s 98-92 win over Adamson last Aug. 22, 2002.

Earlier, Sean Manganti came up with go-ahead putback and a big defensive stop in the closing seconds as Adamson squeaked past University of the Philippines, 73-71.

Jerrick Ahanmisi led all scorers with 21 points, including 17 in a sizzling offensive performance in the second period, but it was the 6-foot-5 Manganti who saved the day and ultimately helped the Falcons to tie with idle host Far Eastern University Tamaraws at third spot with a 4-2 win-loss mark.