Jenny Joy Maddatu

UAAP Basketball and Volleyball

Kiefer Ravena: MVP award meaningless

without UAAP title

Ateneos Ravena, NUs Bernardino bag

MVP awards

ANILA, PhilippinesKing Eagle Kiefer Ravena may have won the

UAAP mens basketball tournaments top plum, but he has made it
clear that he has bigger goals for his team this season.
The MVP wont mean anything if we dont win the championship,
Ravena, who on Wednesday was named the UAAP Press Corps-Accel
Quantum Plus/3XVI Player of the Week for the third time, said recently. The
MVP will be just a bonus for me.
Ravena topped all players in statistical points (SP) to capture his first MVP
plum with 77.6, besting De La Salles Jeron Teng, who came in second with
68.2 SPs.
Far Eastern Universitys Mac Belo was third with 61.2 SPs while Ravenas
teammate Chris Newsome followed with 60.6 SPs and University of Santo
Tomas Cameroonian center Karim Abdul completed the top five with 57.6
points.
The 6-foot Ravena, who was the Rookie of the Year in Season 74, led the
league in scoring and assists, averaging 21.2 points and 5.6 assists per game
while placing second in steals with 1.5 a game. He also normed 5.9 rebounds
per game.
Ravenas statistical points are the highest recorded since the league adapted
the formula in 2003, according to UAAP head statistician Pong Ducanes.
Ravena, who is in his fourth year, helped the Eagles secure the No.1 seed in a
comeback win over the Tamaraws with 23 points, 15 coming in the fourth
quarter and overtime, where his team completed its rally from 19 points down
in the last six minutes of regulation last Saturday.
Ateneo ended up with an 11-3 record and will face either the National
University or the red-hot University of the East in the Final Four while owning a
twice-to-beat advantage. In Season 76, the Eagles failed to make the Final Four
with a 7-7 record, just a year after they notched a historic five-peat.

It looked like he could do no wrong all season.

Playing hero in virtually every Ateneo game, Kiefer Ravena recorded the
highest statistical points (SP) the past decade to emerge as the
runaway winner of the Most Valuable Player award in the UAAP mens
basketball tournament.
I just want to play my best and help my team win, said Ravena, the
senior guard who powered the Blue Eagles to the No. 1 spot in the Final
Four, which comes with a twice-to-beat bonus.

Jenny Joy Maddatu

UAAP Basketball and Volleyball

Ravena posted a record 77.64 SP after leading the league both in points
at 21.2 ppg and assists at 5.6 apg, while ranking second in steals at 1.5
spg and averaging 5.9 rebounds.
In womens basketball, National Universitys Afril Bernardino was
another easy choice as MVP after leading the Lady Bulldogs to a 14-0
elimination sweep that sent them straight to the Finals with a thrice-tobeat edge.
Bernardino amassed 59.67 SP built on averages of 15.4 points, 8.6
rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.4 blocks.
Official statistician Imperium Technology and Smart Bro said yesterday
that Ravenas SP was the highest posted by an individual player since
the league adapted the formula in 2003.
Ravena credited his teammates and coach Bo Perasol for entrusting
him the leadership role this season, where his highlight reels included a
career-high 38-point explosion and numerous clutch performances.
If it werent for them, I wouldnt get this, said Ravena, the leagues
former Rookie of the Year. But its just a bonus. It wouldnt mean
anything if we dont win the championship.
Ravena also led the Mythical Five that included La Salles Jeron Teng
(68.21 SP), Far Eastern Universitys Mac Belo (61.28 SP), Ateneos Chris
Newsome (60.64 SP) and University of Santo Tomas Karim Abdul (57.61
SP).
Ateneos Arvin Tolentino, who used to star for the national youth team
and San Beda high school, emerged as the top rookie (40.21 SP).
Teng, who towed the defending champion Archers to a share of second
place with the Tamaraws, ranked second overall after finishing secondbest in points at 18.1 ppg and third-best in assists at 4.0 apg aside from
norming 7.1 rebounds.
Belo, the much improved FEU forward, wound up third with averages of
16.1 points, 7.1 boards and 2.5 assists.

Newsome normed 13.5 markers, 7.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.3
steals, while Abdul had 14.4 points, 9.2 boards, 1.5 assists, 1.2 steals
and 1.7 blocks.

Ateneos Kiefer Ravena wins UAAP Season

77 MVP
MANILA, Philippines From experiencing his teams most disappointing year, King
Eagle Kiefer Ravena continues to enjoy his best season yet as he has been announced
on Wednesday as the UAAP Season 77 mens basketball MVP.

It was that kind of

turnaround for the
star guard
Ravena, who led
the Blue Eagles
march to the top
spot at the end of
the eliminations
and a return trip
to the Final Four,
after missing it
last year.
Ravena topped all
players in
statistical points
(SP) to capture his
first MVP plum with 77.6, besting De La Salles Jeron Teng, who came in
second with 68.2 SPs.
Far Eastern Universitys Marc Belo was third with 61.2 SPs, while
Ravenas teammate Chris Newsome followed with 60.6 SPs and

Jenny Joy Maddatu

UAAP Basketball and Volleyball

University of Santo Tomas Cameroonian center Karim Abdul completed

the top five with 57.6 points.
The 6-foot Ravena, who was the Rookie of the Year in Season 74, led
the league in scoring and assists, averaging 21.2 points and 5.6 assists
per game while placing second in steals with 1.5 a game. He also
normed 5.9 rebounds per game.
Ravenas statistical points are the highest recorded since the league
adapted the formula in 2003, according to UAAP head statistician Pong
Ducanes.
NUs Alfred Aroga (53.8), FEUs Mike Tolomia (53.7), Bulldogs forward
Troy Rosario (52.7), La Salles Jason Perkins (52.2) and Adamsons Don
Trollano (50.6) rounded up the top 10.
Ateneo topped the two-round eliminations and entered the semifinals with a
twice-to-beat advantage, beating Far Eastern University in overtime last week.

Managing emotions, key to winning Game 3

Racela
By Anthony Divinagracia
Posted Oct 11th 2014
In the end, Racela thinks
the key to winning Game 3
is managing the Tamaraws
emotions against the
Bulldogs' determined stand.

Outrebounded. Outhustled. Outplayed.

For Far Eastern University (FEU) coach Nash Racela these words summed up the
Tamaraws listless performance against resurgent National University (NU) in
Game 2 of the 77th UAAP mens basketball finals last Wednesday.
We got outrebounded by a big margin, said Racela after the Bulldogs clobbered
the Tamaraws, 62-47, to even the series and force a winner-take-all Game 3 next
Wednesday. I think they have 27 offensive rebounds. That gave them 27 extra
possessions.
As it turned out, NU dominated the rebounding battle, getting 58 boards against
only 29 for FEU, which just managed to secure 14 offensive caroms.
Swingman Roger Pogoy emerged as the Tamaraws unlikely top rebounder with
nine boards while frontliners Anthony Hargrove, Raymar Jose, and Carl Cruz
combined for just 15.
Of these 27 offensive boards, the Bulldogs converted 28 inside points against only
14 for the Tamaraws.
I think there are a lot of 50-50 balls na naunahan kami ng NU, Racela said,
noting the Bulldogs 16-6 edge in second-chance points.
NU for the record won 68 percent of the contested possessions to virtually dictate
the tempo of the match.
Defensively, the Bulldogs contained FEUs vaunted firepower well, limiting the
Tamaraws to just six points on 2-of-15 shooting in the opening quarter for an 18-6
lead that set the NU attack in motion.

Jenny Joy Maddatu

UAAP Basketball and Volleyball

We missed shots because they forced us to miss shots, Racela said. Actually we
expected from them coming off a loss, talagang bubuhos sa simula.

Sometimes when you go for the blocks, pag na-miss mo yung blocks ang
nabibigay mo yung rebounding sa kanila, Racela said.

Mike Tolomia backstopped Racelas observation.

Limited ball movement also hampered FEUs offense right from the start, Racela
stressed.

Buong game nagmamadali na kami kasi first quarter pa

lang nakalamang sila agad ng malaki sa amin, said
Tolomia who finished with 15 points on 6-of-19 shooting.
Yun (defense) talaga strength ng team nila e.
NU x-factors
Racela praised NU big man Troy Rosarios bounce-back
game which helped the Bulldogs keep the Tamaraws at
bay.
He (Rosario) dominated us, the FEU mentor said of the 6foot-7 wingman who tallied a game-high 19 points, 14 rebounds, and a block.
Glenn Khobuntin also did well offensively, logging in 17 points and five rebounds.
But his biggest plus came on the defensive end as NUs other x-factor hounded
Mac Belo no end.

When you look at the stats, we only have eight assists lang kami the whole game
so that says a lot kung bakit natalo kami.
Going the distance
With NU finally beating FEU in an important game this season, Racela expects a
more difficult Game 3 ahead, given the Bulldogs renewed confidence.
I think its expected to go the distance, he said. Maganda lang kasi both teams
have equal chances in the final game.
His wards poise and resiliency will be put to the test as well. The coaching staff
must also keep its faith to the players.
When you go to the playoffs you have to give everything you got. Sometimes
yung X and Os nandiyan lang yun to guide you and give you some structure, he
said. As coaches we have to be confident that they'll do their part on the court.

I think Khobuntin has really done a very good job against Mac (Belo), said
Racela. Mac is coming off the bench and at the same time they're playing good
defense on him.

In the end, Racela thinks the key to winning Game 3 is managing the Tamaraws
emotions.

The Tamaraws made their presence felt on defense, blocking eight shots against
only NUs five. But FEU though failed to cover half of those defensive efforts.

Its on us kung paano mag-a-adjust. That (managing emotions) is something di

namin nagawa medyo magulo kami nung simula, he said. We have a few days to
do something about it.

Jenny Joy Maddatu

UAAP Basketball and Volleyball

UAAP: DLSU Lady Spikers strike back, now

a win away from a four-peat

Heartstrong Lady Eagles beat Lady Spikers anew,

force decider for Season 76 volleyball title
The third-seeded team after the elimination round continues to buck the odds,
stretching the UAAP Season 76 womens volleyball Finals series to one last game,
after beating defending champions DLSU Lady Spikers, 25-21 25-23 18-25 16-25 1715, Wednesday at the MOA Arena.
Number one seed La Salle, armed with a thrice-to-beat advantage after sweeping
the elimination round, would have clinched a four-peat with a win, but the
Katipunan-based squad showed grit in the fifth set and engineered a winner-take-all
match on Saturday.
Ateneo had earlier won game one, 25-17 23-25 25-13 25-20, last Wednesday, but La
Salle roared back in game two, 25-14 25-20 19-25 26-24. Prior to the Finals, the Lady
Eagles needed to beat Adamson in a do-or-die game, and then dispatch NU twice in
a row, as part of the stepladder postseason format.

DLSU Lady Spiker Aby Marao celebrates a 25-14 25-20 19-25 2624 by her squad, as they bounced back from losing game one of
the UAAP women's volleyball Finals to the Ateneo Lady Eagles,
Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The defending champs
now need one more win in the next two games to pull-off a fourpeat.

Reigning MVP Alyssa Valdez pumped in 22 points, 19 off spikes, to lead the Lady
Eagles. Entering the final game of the championship series, Valdez shared that its all
a matter of self-belief. We need to believe in ourselves. Nagsastart naman talaga
yan sa sarili. Kung wala ka rin confidence, lagi kang magooverthink at mawawala ka
sa focus.
La Salle entered the first technical timeout of the first set with a slim 8-7 advantage
due to a patented Aby Marano running spike. The Lady Spikers were able to balloon

Jenny Joy Maddatu

UAAP Basketball and Volleyball

their lead to four at 16-12, before Ateneo slowly bounced back and regained their
composure.
Michelle Morentes back-to-back block-piercing attacks put the Lady Eagles up 2119. With a cross-court winner by Valdez and Amy Ahomiros commanding front-row
presence issuing well-timed denials, the Katipunan-based squad drew first blood,
25-21.

The second set featured another La Salle four-point lead squandered by Ahomiros
craftiness from the front-row. With the co-captains of Ateneo, Ella de Jesus and
Valdez relentless in their attacking, the Lady Eagles managed a slim 16-15 lead by
the technical timeout. DLSU managed to regain the lead, care of Maranos front-row
blocks at 19-17, but the continuous attacks of de Jesus coupled by Ahomiros
defense brought the Lady Eagles right back into the picture. Ateneo was awarded
the set point at 24-21 due to a La Salle miscommunication error. They then sealed
the set at 25-23 due to a Morente service ace and an Ahomiro front-row kill.
Both squads began the third set with a back-and-forth affair. That was until Ara
Galang sparked La Salle for four consecutive points coming from a series of downthe-line kills that positioned them ahead at 16-12. La Salle cruised to a 25-18 victory
with three straight points from Cyd Demecillo and a front-row finish from Mika
Reyes.
The fourth set displayed an offensive explosion from Galang as Ateneo had no
answer from the open spiker. La Salle pushed their lead to nine at 19-10 as
everything connected cleanly for the Lady Spikers. The Taft-based squad captured

the fourth at 25-16 and forced a

fifth and final set with a
commanding denial on a Valdez
attack.
La Salle benefitted a three-point
lead at 9-6 due to Galangs
consistency and Kim Fajardos
cerebral decision-making. Galang
shined through for the Lady Spikers
with a deceptive off-speed attack
and a winner that grazed the line
to pushed La Salle ahead, 12-8. But
three straight points from Ahomiro
and her consistency from the service zone propelled the match into a 14-all
deadlock.
Despite La Salle tallying the championship point at 15-14, consecutive attacks from
Valdez and Morente followed by an error on Fajardo then sealed the match for
Ateneo, 17-15.
Although Galangs game-high of 28 points put the Lady Spikers in good position to
win, the well-balanced scoring of Ateneo dampened her offensive barrage. This can
be attributed to Julia Morados 48 excellent sets, which fed the ball continuously to
Ateneos spikers.

Jenny Joy Maddatu

UAAP Basketball and Volleyball

No more tomorrow: La Salle,

Ateneo battle for title in Game 4

Both teams chase history in the 4 p.m. finale with the three-time defending
champion Lady Spikers aiming for the leagues first four-peat since 1973
against the resurgent Lady Eagles, who are out to give Ateneo its maiden title
and complete the greatest upset of the season.
The erstwhile thrice-to-beat Lady Spikers gulped their last pill of survival on
Wednesday, dropping a heart-breaking 21-25, 23-25, 25-18, 25-16, 15-17
wringer to the heart strong Lady Eagles before a raucous crowd of 18,095,
projecting relief and disbelief from all fours.
Ateneo again rode the offensive wings of Season MVP Alyssa Valdez, Michelle
Morente, and Amy Ahomiro to lift the Lady Eagles past a mighty La Salle
comeback from a two-set deficit.
Valdez terrorized La Salles defense with an unstoppable salvo of hits and drop
shots en route to a game-high 22 points, including 19 kills, while Ahomiro and
Morente added 18 apiece.
Teamwork talaga nagdala sa amin. Everybody played well. In-instil talaga sa
amin ni coach (Tai Bundit) yung heart strong, said Valdez, who caught fire
early in Game 3 to push Ateneo up by two sets.

It all ends today. De La Salle University and Ateneo de Manila University put
the wrangling and jostling to rest on a Saturday as they battle each other for
the last time in the winner-take-all Game 4 of the 76th UAAP womens
volleyball tournament at the Mall of Asia Arena.

But Ateneos finest moment came in the make-or-break fifth set when the
Lady Eagles rallied from a seemingly insurmountable 8-12 deficit to seize the
whirlwind ending punctuated by a controversial call on La Salle setter Kim
Fajardo.

Jenny Joy Maddatu

UAAP Basketball and Volleyball

Fajardo was slapped a double touch violation while feeding the ball in midair which pushed Ateneo at matchpoint to the dismay of La Salle coach Ramil
de Jesus.

La Salle guns for title,

Ateneo fights for life.

When there are five sets, its a matter of breaks. Ganun talaga. Kailangan na
lang namin tanggapin. Hindi pa ito tapos, De Jesus said.
Commissioner Otie Camangian vowed to review the tapes. But as far as La
Salle and Ateneo are concerned, its now or never on the playing court.
Dito na talaga magkakaalaman kung hanggang saan kami, De Jesus said.
Graduating captain Abby Marano agreed.
Last year ko na ito kaya hindi ako papayag na matatapos lang ang lahat sa
wala, she said.
Maranos former co-MVP last year Ara Galang believes La Salle can get over
the hump and reach the Promised Land anew.
May isang game pa. Kaya namin to. Tiwala lang ang mahalaga, said Galang,
who led the Lady Spikers in Game 3 with a career-best 28 points.
Yet for Valdez, also the leagues Best Scorer and Best Server, and the rest of
the Lady Eagles, playing happy volleyball and staying together are still the
keys.
We just had to believe in ourselves. Laging sinasabi ni coach na hanggat hindi
pa umaabot sa 15 or 25 (yung kalaban), di pa tapos yung laban, she said.

Will the season end today?

De La Salle University hopes to deliver the finishing blow to Ateneo de Manila
University in Game 3 of the 76th UAAP women's volleyball championship at the
Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

Jenny Joy Maddatu

UAAP Basketball and Volleyball

Coming off a roaring win last Saturday, the Lady Spikers aim to close the series out
and annex their fourth consecutive title before a massive crowd expected to fill
the venue.

Fans of the Lady Eagles hope that season MVP Valdez gets more support in Game
3 after rookie Michelle Morente's guns fell silent against La Salle's stonewall
defense in the loss.

With former MVP Ara Galang leading the charge, La Salle walloped the Lady Eagles
in four sets in Game 2 to bounce back from a shocking loss in the series opener.

Amy Ahomiro, Ella de Jesus and Marge Tejada are tipped to contribute as the
wards of coach Tai Bundit vow to face the do-or-die tiff with their trademark
"happy" game.

"Yung mindset talaga namin revenge," said Galang, who poured in 17 points,
including important hits in the match-clinching fourth set. "Ayaw naming matalo
ulit."

On the other hand, the Lady Spikers attempt to put the nail on the coffin with
Galang, skipper Aby Marano, junior middle spiker Mika Reyes and top setter Kim
Fajardo spearheading their bid.

"Hindi namin ipapaagaw ang korona."

As when the series began, the Lady Spikers will be favored to take it all the way,
especially in the wake of the injury to Ateneo ace Denden Lazaro in the last game.
Lazaro twisted her ankle in the first set and returned in the third frame, but did
not look to be in full health as the Lady Eagles got clobbered when she was off the
floor.
A three-day respite could just be what Lazaro and banged-up Alyssa Valdez needs
to rejuvenate Ateneo's bid to end a long title drought.
"Nakalimutan namin maglaro ng happy," Valdez said after the loss. "Nawala yung
heart strong sa amin."