Thirdy Ravena admits wilting under pressure in UAAP Finals

Ateneo’s Thirdy Ravena sings the school hymn after the Blue Eagles lost to La Salle in the UAAP Season 79 Finals. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

Thirdy Ravena was man enough to admit that the gravity of the championship overwhelmed him.

“To be honest, I was kind of shocked during the game, I was kind of pressured. And I admit that it’s my fault that I felt that way,” he said on Wednesday.

Ravena suffered the worst two-game stretch of his career at the worst possible time as Ateneo fell to powerhouse La Salle in the UAAP Season 79 Finals.

The second-generation star performed below par in his first seniors Finals appearance, averaging 5.5 points on an 11-percent shooting from the field, 5.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 3.5 turnovers.

That was capped off by his horrible showing in the Blue Eagles’ 79-72 Game 2 defeat, where he went on a
paltry 0-of-10 clip to end with three markers and seven boards.

Being in a brand new stage, Ravena took responsibility for his bad showing and said that wilted under pressure.

“This is the biggest platform I ever played in. It went to my head and it affected my game. It’s not an excuse, but it’s really unfortunate that I was unable to deliver,” he said. “It’s a learning experience, I have no excuse. I fell short and I really tried.”

Despite his forgettable outing in the championship series, Ravena would rather look at this past year on a positive light especially after being included in the Mythical Team.

“I didn’t really expect this. I don’t even know how I got to the Mythical Five by scoring less than 10 a game,” he said, after averaging 9.9 points and 7.8 rebounds for the season. “This is a bonus. I’m proud of this, but if it weren’t for my teammates, I don’t think I’ll be able to get this award.”

And 19-year-old is hopeful that this runner-up finish would only drive Ateneo to aspire for bigger things in the future.

“It’s unfortunate that we weren’t able to cap the season off with a win or a championship, but nevertheless, I’m still proud of my team. No one really expected us to be here, we just fought through it and we proved that we’re Finals contenders. Words can’t describe how thankful I am for my team and hopefully next year, we’ll get back at them,” he said.

“This is a good lesson for us. Hopefully next year, it won’t happen again.”