Ateneo’s Thirdy Ravena wins UAAP Season 81 Finals MVP

For an inspired performance in the best-of-three series, Ateneo forward Thirdy Ravena was named the Finals’ Most Valuable Player of UAAP Season 81.

The Blue Eagles flaunted their championship chops and sent University of the Philippines, a first timer in the finals after 32 years, crashing with a 99-81 win in Game 2 to clinch their second straight crown under Tab Baldwin.

Ravena unleashed 38 points, five rebounds and six assists and three steals in the clincher, hiking his finals averages to 29.5 points, eight rebounds, 6.5 assists and 2.5 steals.

The versatile forward said he was just following Ateneo head coach Tab Baldwin’s orders of laying everything on the line against the Fighting Maroons.

“Coach Tab said we shouldn’t let up during the game and we shouldn’t play casually,” said Ravena in Filipino. “For 40 minutes the whole team left it on all the line.”

Ravena already had 20 points at the end of the third quarter with Ateneo leading 70-56, but it was just a prelude for the show that was about to commence.

In a fitting end to Ateneo’s dominant season, where the Blue Eagles finished the eliminations with a 12-2 record, Ravena became a scoring machine in the fourth quarter pouring in 18 points in the period alone.

It was also Ravena’s second straight Finals MVP.

Ravena joined Jeron Teng, Nico Salva, and Arwind Santos with the most Finals MVPs with two.