UAAP: Ravena shines as ADMU downs UP

(Updated 9:11pm) Another classic Battle of Katipunan raged and ended in another battle well-fought for the Katipuneros in blue and white. Kiefer Ravena thwarted UP’s attempt to get consecutive wins, scoring a season-high 21 points as the Ateneo Blue Eagles felled the UP Fighting Maroons 73-66, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on Saturday. “Good thing in the end we got lucky. My teammates were making their shots. We can’t play like this on Wednesday and Saturday. We have to focus, especially on FEU, because FEU is coming off a big win against UST”, said Kiefer Ravena. The Fighting Maroons, who were coming off a victory over the UE Red Warriors, kept making runs that threatened the Blue Eagles, but The Phenom made it a point to quell UP’s charges, connecting on one impossible basket after another. Ravena managed two and-one’s in both quarters of the second half, one which kick-started an early third quarter 7-0 spurt and one that sealed the deal late in the fourth quarter for the league’s top-ranked team. The Hail Mary Squad started to pull away midway through the fourth quarter, after a set play backdoor cut from Slaughter to Ravena made it a seven point gulf between the two teams, 59-52. UP still had a crack at the lead, coming as close as four points, but the backdoor cuts kept on closing the window for the wily Maroons. The last basket by Ravena dimmed UP’s chances of winning the game. UP started out running and thieving, making the most out of Ateneo’s turnovers and converting on difficult jump shots in the opening sequence. Mike Silungan and Raul Soyud cashed in early on long jumpers, while Ateneo had to call for time to know what hit them. Coach Norman Black responded by putting in JP Erram alongside Greg Slaughter early and made his guards run, playing at UP’s pace. The Maroons fizzled in the last two minutes, while the Blue Eagles evened the score at 17-all. “The game is always easier when you can make your outside shots. They [UP] were pretty solid,” said Ateneo head coach Norman Black. Coach Ricky Dandan and the Maroons were on target in the first half, making 42 percent of their shots. They shot two three's as compared to none for the Blue Eagles, while capitalizing on the hot hands of Mike Silungan and Raul Soyud. “Let’s not take credit from UP. They played with a lot of fire, a lot of desire,” added Coach Black. Ateneo took control early in the second quarter, after a 7-2 flash. Instead of causing UP to buckle though, they kept on slugging, as their outside shots continued to fall. A jumper by former Ateneo Blue Eaglet Mike Gamboa and a long three-pointer by Mike Silungan gave the UP crowd reasons to cheer, before Ravena diced the defense to keep the margin at a manageable two points, 34-32 at the half. The Maroons made the most of Ateneo’s 11 first half turnovers, with 10 points off turnovers. Despite fielding both the 7’0” Slaughter and the 6’7” Erram, the Blue Eagles had only a two-rebound edge by the half, 20-18. Charging to a 7-0 start, the Blue Eagles flashed their poise in the third quarter, after Ravena carved out a tough basket amidst a forest of UP defenders. The period was all about free throws, as Ateneo crept up against UP, making 11 out of 20 from the stripe, thanks in part to a technical foul on the UP coaching staff. By the time swingman Tonino Gonzaga had made the last free throw for Ateneo, the tables had turned and the Blue and White were up by seven at the end of the third, 53-46. “We did not play intelligently today as a team, and we did not play as a team. We have FEU on Wednesday, and La Salle on Saturday. We can’t play like this,” said Black. The free throws spelled the difference for the Blue Eagles, as they made 21 out of 32. The Blue Eagles failed to convert any of their attempts from long range and committed 19 turnovers that cost them 20 points off turnovers for UP. Slaughter appeared unarmed for battle, looking sluggish on the court. He finished with a subpar nine points despite 13 rebounds and four blocks. The Maroons, although keeping the rebounding wars considerable close at 46-39, had problems with fouls, committing 27 of them. Their hot hands also cooled towards the end and they settled for long range attempts instead of taking the ball to the cup, resulting in a drop to a 35% field goal shooting percentage. The Blue Eagles still sit atop the standings, with a 7-1 card, while the UP Fighting Maroons are in a three-way tie with UE and Adamson having only one win in eight outings. Ravena led the way for all Blue Eagles with 21 points, followed by small forward Nico Salva 10 points and Tonino Gonzaga also with 10 points, his season high. First-year player Raul Soyud notched a career-high 14 points, while Silungan and Henry Asilum added 13 and 10, respectively. - AMD, GMA News The scores: ADMU – Ravena 21, Salva 10, Gonzaga 10, Slaughter 9, Erram 9, Tiongson 6, Chua 3, Buenafe 2, Elorde 2, SUmalinog 0, Pessumal 0, Golla 0 UP – Soyud 14, Silungan 13, Asilum 10, Lopez 8, Padilla 6, Gamboa 6, Gallarza 5, Montecastro 2, Hipolito 2, Mbah 0, Wierzba 0, Romero 0, Manuel 0 Quarter scoring: 17-17, 32-34, 53-46, 73-66