For family, it’s worth the wait

SAN ANTONIO -- They were seated in Section 121, Row 2 of the Alamodome.

The father, Camille Moute a Bidias, wore a leopard-skin waist wrap and a tan, floppy hat. The mother, Agnes Goufane Ziem, had on a Final Four baseball cap and a No. 23 UCLA jersey.

Seated to mom’s left was Aunt Danielle.

Welcome, Cameroon.

Twenty minutes before tip-off of Saturday’s NCAA national semifinal game between UCLA and Memphis, the family was handed blue pompoms to cheer on the Bruins. They stood for the national anthem.

And then, as a family, they watched UCLA forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute play a basketball game in person for the first time.

“I feel happy to see him play,” Camille said. “I hope they win. For the team, for the coach and for Cameroon.”

It took 18 plane hours to get from Cameroon to San Antonio, through Paris with a stop in Houston.

This is the third Final Four for Mbah a Moute but the first his parents have attended.

Why did it take so long?

“Not only are we busy, but to come here costs money,” Camille said. “Plus it was also matching the calendar.”

Camille wanted to go to last year’s Final Four in Atlanta, but a vision problem, since corrected, wouldn’t allow it.

Two years ago, Camille said, his work schedule ruled out going to the Final Four in Indianapolis. He said he works for public services in Cameroon.

Agnes, more comfortable speaking French than English, said she was not nervous seeing her son play.

“I am excited,” she said.

Danielle, who is Mbah a Moute’s aunt, said she was nervous.

“This is the first time to see Luc play,” she said.

Mbah a Moute came to the United States five years ago to learn basketball at the Monteverde Academy in Florida.

He didn’t start playing basketball seriously until he was 15 but would become an integral part of three Final Four teams.

Two years ago, Mbah a Moute was named the Pacific 10 Conference’s freshman of the year. Injuries have slowed the junior forward this year, and he entered Saturday’s game averaging 8.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.

Saturday night, Mbah a Moute had 12 points and a team-high 13 rebounds, including six offensive rebounds.

“I’m still confident,” Camille said during intermission, when UCLA trailed Memphis by three points. “Memphis played to its maximum. UCLA is not playing to its maximum.”

There were 30 minutes to go but, for Mbah a Moute’s parents, the time to see their son play had at long last come.

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