SUMMARY
This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.
Player of the Week – Thirdy Ravena, Ateneo Blue Eagles
Performance – 2 games (2 wins), 17.0 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 2.5 APG, 61% shooting
The legend of Ravena continues.
For the second straight season, Thirdy Ravena is Ateneo’s vocal and statistical leader. As is expected from him, he led the Blue Eagles to two convincing victories against neighboring UP Fighting Maroons (92-71) on Wednesday, September 13, and against the FEU Tamaraws (94-82) on Sunday, September 17.
In Wednesday’s Battle of Katipunan, Ravena had an efficient outing of 16 points and 6 rebounds in just 19 minutes of action. Four days later, he had more playing time with 27 minutes and nabbed a double-double in the process, tallying 18 points and 11 boards including an athletic put-back tip late in the game. He also chipped in 5 assists to round up an already impressive performance.
Like a true “Blue” rival, De La Salle’s Aljun Melecio nabbed runner-up honors for the week, courtesy of an all-around gem of 20 points, 2 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, and 5 three-pointers after the Archers’ instant classic on Saturday, September 16, against the NU Bulldogs.
Look for Thirdy to continue running wild next Sunday, September 24, against the UE Red Warriors. He’s a Ravena after all.
Team of the Week – Ateneo Blue Eagles (3-0)
Performance – 2 wins vs UP (92-71) and FEU (94-82), 93 PPG, 15.5 points in margin of victory
It’s a clean sweep for the Blue and White.
Ateneo is the team of the week after consistently dominating against opponents UP and FEU.
Leave it to former Gilas coach Tab Baldwin to fully utilize a 12- to 15-man rotation and get results from every last Eagle. In their 19-point rout of UP on Wednesday, 11 players logged at least 10 minutes with only Chibueze Ikeh and Matt Nieto eclipsing the 20-minute mark. In comparison, 3 UP players logged at least 24 minutes with an ice-cold Paul Desiderio logging 32.
Although 4 players recorded at least 22 minutes against the much tougher Tamaraws, all 4 marked at least 10 points, with Ravena leading the way at 18. Still, 6 other players logged in double-digit minutes and combined for 20 crucial points.
“We like to think that it’s one of our strengths – a deep bench,” said Ateneo assistant coach Sandy Arespacochaga. “We’re not afraid to put anyone out there. We keep reminding our players that it could be anybody so they just have to be ready.”
Exchanging places with them on our leaderboards is the runner-up for the week – the DLSU Green Archers. Despite only winning by 6, Coach Aldin Ayo’s boys put on an offensive clinic, winning 115-109 against rival coach Jamike Jarin’s NU Bulldogs. A game for the ages, it was the first in 11 years where both teams tallied at least 100 points. Had La Salle raked in more stops against the Bulldogs, they would have easily been the top team for two weeks in a row.
Surprise, surprise. Ateneo and La Salle are still the teams to beat moving forward. At this point, underpreparing for either of them is a sure recipe for a self-inflicted embarrassment. – Rappler.com
Add a comment
How does this make you feel?
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.