UP Maroons vs Ateneo Blue Eagles. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
If there’s any indication Thirdy Ravena has stepped out of his brother Kiefer’s shadow, this 79-64 Ateneo win over University of the Philippines is worth noting.
Thirdy, who now sports a headband after an ugly wound he sustained in their game against University of the East, finished with 22 points, 10 rebounds, and one magnificent block as older brother Kiefer watched from the bleachers.
And big brother Kiefer couldn’t be any happier for Thirdy.
READ: Ateneo chalks up second straight win, downs UP
“It was good, ang sarap panoorin,” said Kiefer who watched his younger brother’s first collegiate game since leaving Ateneo in 2015. “He came out and he played big especially against coach Bo [Perasol]. It was nice and it one of the reasons kaya nanood ako ngayon kasi I wanted to see coach Bo in UP.”
Perasol was Kiefer’s coach in his final season with Ateneo where they fell to eventual champions Far Eastern University.
As for Thirdy, who borrowed his headband from Adamson rookie Jerrick Ahanmisi, he was just following instructions from the Ateneo coaching staff.
And those instructions were to go hard and be aggressive.
“That was the instruction na binigay sa akin, so I’m just trying to follow it,” said Thirdy. “Not sure if that’s gonna continue… This game lang naman ako parang ganito eh, we’ll see.”
“Nilalaro ko na lang di ba, pag alangan pa kasi ako maglaro, mas prone to injury, I just take it strong.”