Blue Eagles drive for five still alive

Kiefer being guarded tightly

In this year’s 75th season of the UAAP, former National Youth players had their way in scoring with Bobby Ray Parks of National University leading the way with a couple of 30 points games, Jeron Teng of DLSU followed suit and so did Terrence Romeo of FEU.   Amidst all of those former youth campaigners, the most highly touted is the Phenom from the Ateneo. Content with sharing the scoring chores with the   Blue Eagle veterans, Kiefer Ravena showed today what he can do when tasked to take most of the scoring load. Ravena scored 28 points, pulled down 12 rebounds and issued 7 assists in an all around game to lift the Ateneo Blue Eagles over the hard fighting De La Salle Green Archers 66 – 63 at the SMART Araneta Coliseum  to give the Blue Eagles the chance to defend their title for a fourth consecutive time.

It's Ryantime

 The De La Salle Green Archers were peaking at the right time and were on the rise as the new King Archer, Jeron Teng was more than everyone expected and finally the Green Archers were jelling as a team which gave them a final four date with the defending champs after squeaking past the FEU Tamaraws just last Wednesday. The Green Archers studied their archrivals well as Greg Slaughter,who topscored in their first round encounter, was kept at bay and was never a factor in the game. Ryan Buenafe, who topscored in their second encounter,  was only given three pointers and everytime he drove inside he was met with stiff opposition. ON the other hand, the Green Archers torched the Blue Eagles with drop passes that resulted to points as Yutien Andrada was unstoppable around the hoop.  Andrada went 7 for 8 on the field enroute to 17 points 6 rebounds and 3 block shots. His scoring helped the Green Archers erect an 11 point lead 49 – 38 with 9:38 to go in the game.

Dagger three over Webb

Sensing that he has the hot hand and that the Ateneo veterans were being covered well by the Green Archers, Ravena took matters into his own hands as he presided over a killer 17 – 6 run in the next five minutes as the Blue Eagles tied the score 55 – all with four minutes and 26 seconds left in the game. Ravena sank two three pointers and three free throws in that span while the Green Archers began to fire blanks.  The Blue Eagles then opened a four point lead 61 – 57 with Slaughter scoring off a foul by the Green Archers as the jubilant Ateneo crowd began to celebrate. Unfortunately for the Blue Eagles, the comebacking Green Archers pushed them to the limit once more as Almond Vosotros scored five straight points to put the Archers on top 62 -61 with less than a minute to go.

Greg scores

At this point, it was time for Ryan Buenafe to take over. In the ensuing play, the Green Archers covered Ravena well who eventually saw Ryan in the corner. Buenafe was left alone at the corner of the court and liesurely sank a dagger three pointer to put the Blue Eagles on top  64 -62.  Controversy almost got the better of the two teams as Kiefer Ravena was called an unsportsmanlike foul on buddy Jeron Teng in the waning seconds of the game.   In contrast to the heroics of Ravena, Teng missed his second free throw and lost the ball when he drove to the hoop with three seconds left in the game.  Buenafe was fouled in the inbound and he sealed the win with two free throws.

It was an all Keifer show

This marks the fifth consecutive time the Blue Eagles are in the finals and their opponent will be the UST Growling Tigers whom they are aching to get back at.  Although most of the more high profile High School stars come from the NCAA juinors, Keifer Ravena showed that UAAP Juniors products are a cut above the rest. The Keifer Ravena era has just began, unleash the Phenom.

ATENEO (66)
Ravena 28, Salva 12, Buenafe 10, Tiongson 5, Slaughter 4, Chua 4, Sumalinog 3, Pessumal 0, Golla 0, Gonzaga 0, Elorde 0

LA SALLE (66)

Andrada 17, Vosotros 14, Teng 12, Torres N. 6, Torres T. 5, Van Opstal 3, Mendoza 2, Tampus 0, Webb 0

Quarterscores

14 - 12,  31 – 26, 38 - 47, 66 - 63