Photo by Tristan Tamayo/ INQUIRER.net
As if Thirdy Ravena needed any more pressure to deliver for Ateneo against La Salle on Sunday, his older brother Kiefer had to remind about it.
Thirdy said the his older brother told him to “perform well” because he will be at the Arena for the first meeting of the rivals in the pre-season.
Ateneo escaped with an 80-78 victory over the Green Archers in the 2017 Filoil Flying V Preseason Premier Cup behind Ravena’s clutch heroics.
READ: Ravena’s late three lifts Ateneo past La Salle
But things didn’t go the younger Ravena’s way early. He even got pulled out of the court in the second half after failing to follow coach Tab Baldwin’s defensive instructions.
The 20-year-old knew what he did wrong and bide his time to make up for his mistakes.
“I did exactly what coach Tab told us not to do, and I understood why I was benched. Coach told us to be composed, but I was rushing and that’s when La Salle trapped us more. But when he told me to contribute on defense, I just made it a point to do my job,” he said.
READ: Thirdy admits there’s no escaping comparisons to dad, brother
He was stellar on the defensive end when he finally returned on the court, but Ravena’s biggest moment came on offense, when he received a pass from Tyler Tio on the left corner and drilled the go-ahead trey with 9.2 seconds remaining to put Ateneo up, 76-74.
“The opportunity just presented itself. Seeing how hard my teammates worked, I was thinking that I didn’t want to let them down. We have already went though a lot of hardships. So whatever I needed to do, whether I got the ball or not, I have to grab the opportunity,” he said. “Tyler (Tio) followed coach Tab’s play and he did it very well, drawing my defender in and kicking it out to me. I was just lucky to get the three points because I came off the bench cold and I wasn’t really warmed up.”
That basket steered the Blue Eagles to the tight victory where Ravena finished with nine points and five rebounds in the win, much to the delight of his older brother.
READ: Dream Ateneo-La Salle UAAP showdown looms
“Again, I’m just lucky,” he said.
It may have been just a pre-season win but the Blue Eagles are happy to get one against their archrivals.
“Of course, Ateneo-La Salle rivalry goes very, very deep. If you’re an Atenean or a Lasallian, playing in the game is enough motivation. Of course, La Salle was La Salle and they were very intense offensively and defensively. But although it’s just the summer league, we’re happy to get the win. But we know that we still have lots to work on. La Salle is still a strong team and we have to continue working on our game and keep working as a team,” he said.