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Kiefer Ravena affirmed his place as one of the top amateurs in the country as he dominated the 2017 Gatorade PBA Draft Combine and led his team to the championship.
Team A-2, composed of Ravena, Robbie Herndon, Jason Perkins, Lervin Flores, Chris de Chavez, Elmer Cabahug, and Christian Geronimo, bested the Jeron Teng-led Team B-3, 83-72, in the finals of the mini-tournament Tuesday at Gatorade Hoops Center in Shaw.
Ravena, the former Ateneo stalwart, bagged majority of the awards in the two-day event including the MVP honors.
“Maybe my competitiveness really showed up that I didn’t want to lose,” he said as his side completed a sweep. “My mindset is to really win as much as I can, whether individual skills or team competition, especially the team competition because I really wanted to help my team win and make my teammates look as good as I can here in the combine.”
Ravena fired 12 points in the finals as Perkins topscored for their team with 20 markers.
Herndon added 18 points, de Chavez got 17 markers, and Flores had 13, as their side took home the P75,000 cash prize.
Teng paced his team with 23 points, as he gained support from Ervin Grospe, who had 18 markers, and Dan Sara, who poured in 10.
The runner-up squad also had Kyle Neypes, Gian Abrigo, and Zach Nicholls in their team.
Ravena was joined by Perkins, Herndon, Teng, and Raymar Jose in the Mythical Five.
In the battle for third, the trio of Gab Dagangon, Jett Manuel, and Jose led Team A-1 past Team B-2 of Emil Palma and Louie Vigil, 59-55.
Dagangon got 20 points, Manuel unloaded 13 markers, and Vigil had 10.
Palma and Thomas Torres had 13 points each in a losing effort.
The 2017 PBA Rookie Draft is on Sunday at Robinsons Place Manila.
Cross-over Semis:
First Game:
A-2 61 – Ravena 15, Perkins 14, Flores 13, Herndon 12, De Chavez 3, Geronimo 0, Cabahug 0.
B-2 58 – Vigil 12, Gabriel 12, Palma 11, Sumido 7, Torres 7, Sargent 6, Baltazar 3.
Second Game:
B-3 51 – Teng 17, Neypes 11, Abrigo 9, Grospe 8, Sara 5, Nicholls 0.
A-1 45 – Manuel 11, Jose 10, Moralde 8, Dagangon 7, Casiño 5, Apreku 4.
Classification Games:
Battle for Third:
A-1 59 – Dagangon 20, Manuel 13, Jose 12, Casiño 7, Moralde 5, Apreku 2.
B-2 55 – Palma 14, Torres 14, Vigil 12, Gabriel 7, Baltazar 5, Sumido 3, Sargent 0.
Finals:
A-2 83 – Perkins 20, Herndon 18, De Chavez 17, Flores 13, Ravena 12, Geronimo 0, Cabahug 0.
B-3 72 – Teng 23, Grospe 18, Sara 10, Neypes 8, Abrigo 7, Nicholls 0.