Reigning UAAP Most Valuable Player Kiefer Ravena stole the thunder from his flashy American counterparts, delivering the game-winning shot that lifted PCWorx to a pulsating 98-96 victory over the Gawad Kalinga-Ball Up Streetball All Stars in the “All In” charity game at Mall of Asia Arena Wednesday night.
Ferocious all-game long, the Ateneo’s King Eagle drove past three defenders and converted a difficult layup that completed the PCWorx comeback from five points down in the final minute and stunned the team coached by former NBA MVP Allen Iverson.
The performance was enough for grand slam coach Tim Cone to hail Ravena as a “once-in-a-generation” talent.
“You can see it when he got that last shot,” said Cone, who coached the PCWorx team made up of collegiate all-stars and beefed up by former NBA player DeMarr Johnson. “He just had great confidence and hit that basket.”
Johnson shot a triple to tie the game at 96, setting the stage for Ravena’s heroics.
PCWorx trailed in a first half highlighted by slam dunks and flashy drives to the basket before the game took a more competitive tone in the second half.
That’s when the collegiate all-stars team found their stride and eventually wore down the team made up of American streetball legends and reinforced by former PBA players Jerry Codiñera, Renren Ritualo and Willie Miller.
“We don’t want to have a memory of this game that we fooled around and lost by 50 points,” said Cone. “We need to go out and show our talent and that’s by playing hard, playing defense, and running the floor.”
Johnson came up with 24 points and 10 rebounds, while Ravena and La Salle standout Jeron Teng added 16 points each and Far Eastern U’s Mac Belo 11 points.
The scores:
PCWORX 98—Johnson 24, K. Ravena 16, Teng 16, Rosario 12, Belo 11, Perez 7, T. Ravena 6, Adeogun 4, Mocon 2, Vosotros 0.
GAWAD KALINGA 96—Bone Collector 20, G. Smith 19, Special FX 18, The Professor 13, Mr. Afrika 13, AO 6, Air Up There 2, Codinera 2, Ritualo 2, Miller 0.
Quarters: 16-28, 44-50, 73-73, 98-96