MANILA, Philippines - Come crunchtime, expect Kiefer Ravena to deliver the goods for Ateneo.
The fourth-year guard did what he does best again, hitting clutch baskets in the Blue Eagles’ back-to-back victories in the past week that shoved the Katipunan-based squad to the top of the heap at 6-1 at the end of the first round elims.
Ravena averaged 27.5 points, seven rebounds and 6.5 assists in games against University of Sto. Tomas Tigers and University of the East Red Warriors, netting him a second UAAP Press Corps-Accel Quantum Plus/316 Player of the Week citation.
Ravena came out big again last Sunday, draining seven of the Blue Eagles’ last nine points in the first overtime game of the 77th men’s basketball season to complete Ateneo’s come-from-behind 93-91 win against the Red Warriors.
The Eagles fell by as many as 21 points but Ravena almost single-handedly steered the team back into the game, and eventually to the win with a career-high 38 points spiked with nine assists and five rebounds.
“He’s always to be the one to lead them. It doesn’t matter whether he’s going to score or not,” said Ateneo coach Bo Perasol of his ward, whose 19-of-25 foul line clip was the most in the league after former King Eagle Chris Tiu’s 17-of-19 six years ago.