Finals’ MVP Ravena lauds Eagle teammates Ikeh, Go

FINALS’ MVP Thirdy Ravena said the honors he received when the Ateneo Blue Eagles snatched the 80th University of the Philippines men’s basketball crown last Sunday should not be his alone.

It also belongs to Chibueze Ikeh, who he praised in his efforts to stop Ben Mbala all throughout Game 3 of their teams’ best-of-three finals series.

“You just don’t see it in the stats. But I saw Ikeh the whole game. He just did his job. He did his best to limit Ben,” said Ravena  after Ateneo pulled off an emotional 88-86 win over the defending champion La Salle Green Archers on Sunday at the Big Dome.

The Green Archers got 19 points and 14 rebounds from Mbala, who turned the ball over following a steal by Ikeh with 15.3 ticks left.

Because of Ikeh’s steal, Ateneo went on to preserve a five-point edge, 85-80, in the ensuing play.

Ravena finished with 17 points and eight rebounds, while Ikeh converted only four points and nine rebounds.

But Ikeh limited Mbala to six points in the third period and another six in the fourth. He even forced Mbala to give up the ball after Go, who made only five points, hit the dagger three with 15.2 seconds that all but settled the issue for the Eagles, who stormed to an 85-80 lead.

With their Game 3 triumph, the Blue Eagles now have nine men’s basketball crowns, including this one that they earned following a five-year drought.

Coach Tab Baldwin said the players just responded every step of the way.

“And when we ran into real adversity, none bigger than that tremendous La Salle basketball team, they found a way. And a lot of it is their heart, soul and courage,” said Baldwin.

The Blue  Eagles reached the finals after going 13-0 in the eliminations, before bowing to the Archers at the end of the second round.

Then, the Blue Eagles went through two grueling encounters before they defeated  Far Eastern University in the Final Four.

“There’s no individual that makes this team special because it just dedicated itself to hard work. I couldn’t give these guys enough to do and I think that’s a revelation for me—spending 35 years coaching pros, you can’t ask pros what I asked these guys to do and they did it,” added Baldwin. 

As he emerged from the dugout, coach Aldin Ayo congratulated the Green Archers for winning the crown this season.

He said the Green Archers were not able to handle very well the championship that they won last season.

“We wanted to compete. But in the preparations, there were problems,” said Ayo. Peter Atencio

Even if the Green Archers lost, school officials from La Salle paid tribute to the Blue Eagles’ title conquest by lighting up  its Manila campus with blue lights hours after the game.

La Salle’s main  building on Taft Ave was awash  in blue lights the whole evening.

 “We celebrate a good fight. We’re proud of you, Green Archers! To the Blue Eagles, congratulations,” wrote the DLSU official Facebook account.