UP’s Ibrahim Ouattara goes from ban to breakout

MANILA, Philippines – In a must-win third game for both teams, the UP Fighting Maroons came out on top, 84-71, against the still winless UE Red Warriors.

The Warriors of Sampaloc shot out of warmups to an early 14-point lead thanks to their patented full court press defense and fast breaks. At the end of the first quarter, UE held a 27-18 lead over the stunned Maroons.

That was the case until UP’s big Malian import Ibrahim Ouattara got his legs under him and started to be an anchor inside, the area where UE draws its strength from. UE still led at the half but only by 4, 42-38. Ouattara had 7 points and 8 boards to lead the Maroon rally. In comparison, he totaled a mere 6 points and 13 rebounds in his first two outings against UST and Ateneo.

Then Paul Desiderio happened. After shooting a horrible 3-of-18 from three-point land in his first two games, the captain righted the ship with 3 straight pull-ups from downtown, erasing the Warriors’ lead and mounting an advantage for UP. This was all the rest needed to relax and get going on their own, including Ouattara, who corralled all misses at both ends of the court. 

With UP enjoying a 23-point lead at the fourth after trailing by 14 at the first, it was only a matter of holding ground as they coasted to the finish line.

Desiderio double-doubled with a game-high 28 points and 10 boards on an improved 9-of-16 shooting with 5-of-9 treys. Ouattara arguably outshined the King Maroon however, with 14 points, 18 rebounds (7 offensive) and two rejections – career-highs across the board.

Heading into their Saturday tussle with the feared defending champion DLSU Green Archers, Perasol said the UE game was a much-needed momentum boost. “We are faced with a very tough schedule in the upcoming weeks, so we needed to get as [many] wins as we can,” he said.

Ouattara, however, he was just happy to be actually playing in the UAAP, two weeks after he was almost ruled ineligible. 

“It’s a really good experience,” said the 6-foot-9 center. “It’s the top collegiate league here in the Philippines, so I think all athletes here dream of playing in the UAAP. I’m just thankful that I got the chance. The UP community and Coach Bo gave me that chance. I’m just grateful.”

Coach Perasol knew his player’s pain all too well, as two years of toiling with the team in various pre-season tournaments almost went to waste two days before his debut.

“We practiced the whole off-season with him,” he said. “We gained some successes with him; that’s why it was really hard to accept the fact that he won’t be playing initially. But we were able to fight that back and he’s here with us now.

“I think we will be a lot better with him,” he added. “I think that we have a good fighting chance if we have him with us.” 

Though he is set to face the Cameroonian monster Ben Mbala in their next game, Ouattara is not too worried about it. “What can I say? It will be a good match, a good experience for me. As you all know, he’s a strong player, a good player. But for me, it’s not just about what I can do; it’s about what we can do as a team.”

For the better part of two years under the UP banner, Ouattara has been facing tougher challenges away from the hardwood. For now, he just wants to play, as he almost never did. – Rappler.com