Ravena’s game-winner propels Ateneo past UST

MANILA, Philippines – Sometimes having the best player on the basketball court is enough to win. With 23.1 seconds left against UST, Ateneo did. 

And that was all that mattered. 

Kiefer Ravena nailed a tough, contested floater with a few seconds left on the clock to lead his Ateneo Blue Eagles past the UST Growling Tigers, 63-61, on Wednesday, August 6, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.  

Ravena finished with 17 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists, while Chris Newsome tallied 18 and 5 for the Blue Eagles. 

“In the end it was a team effort,” said Ateneo head coach Bo Perasol after the game. “It was important for us to win kinds of games like these.” (RELATED: Ateneo is looking dangerous with Kiefer Ravena leading the way)

The third quarter opened with Ravena making an off-balanced jumper despite getting fouled mid-air. After the Ateneo star missed the free throw, UST went on a 6-0 run to take the lead, spearheaded by a technical foul on Coach Perasol. Newsome and Ed Daquioag then exchanged baskets, as the score read 33-32 with 6:41 left in the period. 

Both teams remained hot for most of the quarter, but it were the Growling Tigers who first managed to create some separation. Following Aljon Mariano’s tying FT, Ateneo failed to convert on offense, paving the way for UST to get open looks for Loiue Vigil and Karim Abdul on succeeding offensive trips, 42-38.

Off a time-out, Newsome got open and converted a corner 3-ball. After Mariano failed to respond, Nico Elorde was fouled shooting a three-pointer, and he converted all charities. Heading into the final period, ADMU was ahead by one, 46-45.

The UST crowd came alive when Mariano put up five straight points to start the fourth quarter, putting his team on top 50-49. But thanks to a three-point play and a 3-ball from Newsome and Elorde, the Blue Eagles went back ahead by five. 

With 3:14 to go and Ateneo ahead, 55-52, a technical foul was assessed to Blue Eagles rookie Arvin Tolentino for second motion. However, the Growling Tigers got only one point out of the situation, 55-53. Not long after, Ravena and Vigil exchanged baskets.  

UST got the ball back with 2 minutes left, and Mariano hit a 3-ball to give his squad the lead, with Ravena tying the game not long after. Countering a basket by Abdul, Newsome converted an and-one play to make the count 61-60, Ateneo. 

After Kevin Ferrer tied the game at 61-all, that’s when it happened. 

Facing three defenders at certain points, Ravena navigated his way to the paint and hit a looper over the outstretched arm of Abdul to win the game. 

“Knowing Kiefer, he found a way again to make the shots when it really matters,” Perasol said, after mentioning the play was designed by assistant coach Ronnie Magsanoc.  

Newsome, who also hit critical shots in the fourth quarter, said the victory served as sort of vengeance for ADMU, who was eliminated by UST last season.  

“This was the same team that knocked us out,” he said. “That was all the motivation right there… My teammates knew that as well.”

Tolentino finished with 14 for Ateneo, while Elorde had 6. 

Mariano broke out of his funk and had 17 points for UST, while Abdul registered 19 markers and 12 boards.  

UST rallied off to a 9-4 start despite Abdul taking a shot to the face in the opening play of the game. However, an unsportsmanlike foul by Vigil halted the Growling Tigers’ momentum and put Newsome at the line, where he hit three free throws. 

Both clubs then proceeded to exchange baskets, with a triple by Tolentino drawing Ateneo closer, 15-14, at the end of the first quarter.  

The Blue Eagles managed to keep the Growling Tigers scoreless in the opening minutes of the second quarter. While on offense, the team turned to Tolentino, who racked up five quick points to put some separation between both teams. 

It wasn’t until Mariano nailed a contested pull-up jumper with a little under 4 minutes left in the second that UST converted their first field goal since the 3:37 mark of the first quarter, which was when Sheriff nailed a long-2. However, the Tigers’ defense was good enough to keep the game’s margin at five, 24-19.

After Mariano’s jumper, it was Ateneo who then went on a dry spell on offense. UST, in turn, got 7 straight markers from three of their starters to re-take the lead, 25-24. But a tandem of buckets from Ravena and Tolentino made sure to give the Blue Eagles a three-point lead at the half, 28-25.

ADMU now improves to 5-1, and will finish their first round against UE on Sunday, August 10. UST, 3-2, on the other hand, will take on 4-2 DLSU on the same day.  

“I don’t think we have proven anything yet,” Perasol also said.  

– Rappler.com