Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
AARON Black and Thirdy Ravena, often overshadowed by their more famous relatives, basked in the spotlight this time as they powered Ateneo to a 73-69 triumph over host University of Santo Tomas Sunday at the start of the UAAP Season 79 men’s basketball tournament at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“I wouldn’t really say I’m the top guy; we’d like to do things as a team,” said Black, who fired a game-high 23 points on top of seven rebounds and five assists.
“That’s coach Tab’s (Baldwin) philosophy and we like to follow that. But I guess learning from the MVP last year and seeing him every practice, I was able to pick up a few things.”
That Most Valuable Player was former Ateneo star Kiefer Ravena, whose younger brother Thirdy also had his breakout game of 17 points and 11 boards.
“It’s a very good team effort today,” added Black, whose father Norman mentored the Eagles to five straight championships starting in 2008.
“The bench guys helped us a lot in the fourth quarter.”
Although the Eagles had to deal with uncertainties following the graduation of Kiefer, role players like Anton Asistio, Gideon Babilonia and John Wong stepped up in a fourth-quarter Ateneo blitz where they pulled away from a slim 52-51 edge.
A new-look Adamson also shone as rookie Jerrick Ahanmisi—the 18-year-old brother of PBA player Maverick—brought the game and swagger the Falcons seemingly lacked in past seasons.
“I was a little nervous going into my first game but I was also excited,” said Ahanmisi, the 6-foot-2 combo guard from California. “I’ve been learning from my coaches.”
Ahanmisi erupted for 28 points, highlighted by a 6-of-7 clip from three-point range, in an impressive debut that fueled the Falcons to a 104-85 blasting of University of the Philippines.
“I think we’re just lucky we were able to recruit him,” new Adamson coach Franz Pumaren said of Ahanmisi.
The Falcons, of course, were also lucky to get Pumaren on board as the decorated mentor tries to replicate his success at La Salle, which he steered to the crown from 1998 to 2001 and in 2007.
But Pumaren insists it will be different for this batch of Falcons, who also got solid outings from Robbie Manalang (16 points and nine assists), Dawn Ochea (13 points) and Papi Sarr (13 points and 11 boards).
“They feel I employ the same system but it depends on the quality of players that I have,” said Pumaren.
The Falcons showed that firepower from the get-go, zooming to a 28-18 start and erecting leads as big as 21 points, 66-45.
The scores:
First Game
ADAMSON 104—Ahanmisi 28, Manalang 16, Ochea 13, Sarr 13, Mustre 9, Manganti 8, Tungcab 6, Pasturan 6, Ng 4, Paranada 1, Camacho 0.
UP 85—Desiderio 24, Manuel 15, Moralde 12, Asilum 11, Vito 7, Webb 5, Harris 5, Gomez 2, Romero 2, Lao 2, Dario 0, Lim 0, Prado 0, Jaboneta 0, Longa 0.
Quarters: 28-18, 46-38, 73-57, 104-85
Second Game
ATENEO 73—Black 23, Ravena 17, Nieto Mi. 7, Asistio 6, Wong 5, Mendoza 5, Babilonia 4, Tolentino 2, Go 2, Nieto Ma. 2, Ikeh 0, Porter 0, Verano 0.
UST 69—Vigil 21, Macasaet 12, Bonleon 9, Lao 8, Basbas 7, Faundo 6, Subido 2, Afoakwah 2, De Guzman 2, Sheriff 0, Lee 0, Arana 0, Huang 0.
Quarters: 14-17, 34-34, 52-51, 73-69