Ravena accepts blame for loss to DLSU

Aware he’s now the target of rival players, Ateneo star Kiefer Ravena admitted he has to take it upon himself to make the necessary adjustments in his bid to take the Blue Eagles back to familiar territory in the UAAP Season 77 men’s basketball tournament.

After an impressive showing in the first round that saw him piled up game-averages of 23 points and 5.14 assists, both league highs, the 6-foot Ravena groped for form against defending champion La Salle in their close 86-88 setback on Sunday night at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum, coming up with 22 points on a rough 8-of-23 shooting from the field.

Ravena missed his first four shots and even went scoreless in the opening period before exploding for 15 big points in the second period, capped by a buzzer-beating triple, that enabled the Blue Eagles to trim repeated 13-point deficits to just 36-44 at the break.

However, Ravena went cold in the second half and even missed a pair of jumpers—an air balled three-point try and a lay-up—inside the final two minutes where the Archers found enough goods to keep the Blue Eagles at bay and clinch their eventual sixth straight victory for a 6-2 record overall, tying their latest victim and Far Eastern U atop the eight-team field.

“I guess I just need to find ways to work against the defense that is being thrown at me,” Ravena told a handful of sports scribes following his struggles against the Archers’ sustained stymieing defense led by athletic Julian Sargent and sophomore Robert Bolick, who also combined for 21 big points.

“Sargent’s pretty strong and quick. Bolick also played good ‘D,’” he said. “But it’s still on me on how I could find a way. I also have to keep myself composed.”

Ateneo head coach Bo Perasol also admitted they need to prepare Ravena for the expected pressure coming from their foes, saying: “He knows that and we know that. That’s why we’re trying to help him (make the proper adjustments). I don’t think any team will just lie down in trying to stop Kiefer.”

“He is used to this and I know he’s going to bounce back. I’m confident he will find a way,” added Perasol.

With the Blue Eagles seeing an end their three-game winning run, Ravena urged his teammates to quickly pick up the pieces and move on. “This game could have gone either way but we now need to focus on our next game against UE,” he said, referring to their another tough outing against host University of the East on Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Ravena later tweeted a message about the game, acknowledging he could have done better.