Ravena shruggs off Malonzo dunk: ‘We won the game’

Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—Thirdy Ravena, arguably the most athletic forward in the UAAP for the past two seasons, found himself on the receiving end of a monster dunk when Ateneo took on De La Salle in  UAAP Season 82.

Jamie Malonzo put Ravena on a mean poster, skying high for a two-handed jam that earned the Green Archers’ forward an and-one play.

Ravena shrugged off the play and said the poster was just “part of the game.”

“It’s a play, two points. We won the game, so it doesn’t really matter,” said Ravena, whose Blue Eagles had the final say after hammering out an 81-69 win Sunday at Smart Araneta Coliseum. “You get blocked, you get dunked on.”

That play, however, turned out to be just one of the few good things for La Salle in the game as the Blue Eagles took control for the majority of the match after it went on a 21-1 run to end the second quarter.

Ravena, who had six points and four fouls, said he didn’t mind sitting most of the game out due to foul trouble with his teammates capable of stepping up.

“That’s what we say ‘next man up’ because expect anybody to just play the whole game individually,” said Ravena who played a shade under 17 minutes. “All of us would help each other, I was playing badly and I was in foul trouble.”

Taking the scoring load for the Blue Eagles were twins Mike and Matt Nieto, who combined for 33 points while Gian Mamuyac fired eight of his 14 points in the fourth period.

“Mike, Mamu, and Matt stepped up, and it really just talks about what we are as a team,” said Ravena. “I’m pretty sure that Coach Tab can put anyone there and they’ll be ready to do the same thing.”