La Salle rallies past Ateneo to force winner-take-all Game 3

Two-time MVP Ben Mbala dunks against Ateneo. KC Cruz

The De La Salle Green Archers rode a furious second half attack to overcome a slow start to defeat the Ateneo Blue Eagles, 92-83, in Game Two of the UAAP Season 80 men's basketball finals on Wednesday at SMART-Araneta Coliseum.

Defending champion La Salle trailed by as much as 21 points in the first period before waking up after halftime to tie the series at 1-all.

Still trailing 51-42 after the first two periods with foul trouble plaguing key players Ben Mbala and Ricci Rivero, La Salle outscored Ateneo, 26-8, in the third quarter to take the upper hand.

Mbala, who won Most Valuable Player honors for the second straight year earlier in the day, finished with 20 points while Rivero, whose daredevil drives sparked La Salle's second-half run, finished with 18.

Hotshot guards Andrei Caracut and Aljun Melecio chipped in 13 and 12 points, respectively.

Ateneo main man Thirdy Ravena led the Blue Eagles with 20 points, while fellow second-generation basketball star Aaron Black had 15 off the bench.

The Green Archers and the Blue Eagles will battle for all the marbles on Sunday at Mall of Asia Arena. —JST, GMA News