It has been years since Kiefer Ravena and Bobby Ray Parks, Jr. went up against each other on the hardwood.
The last time the two squared off was back UAAP Season 76. After that, they never had the chance to play against each other; instead, they played together several times, mostly with the national team and one game with Alab Pilipinas.
“It’s been a while since we faced each other,” recalled Ravena, who entered the UAAP in 2011 together with Parks.
One Sunday changed that, though. The two UAAP Most Valuable Players finally faced off again, when NLEX and Blackwater locked horns in 2019 PBA Governors’ Cup action.
Ravena and Parks were the main attractions of their respective teams. And they did not fail to wow the crowd that trooped to the Santa Rosa Multi-Purpose Complex in Laguna.
It was the sophomore guard who walked away victorious, though, leading the Road Warriors to the 115-109 win.
Ravena finished with 25 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists. Meanwhile, Parks had 28 points, six dimes, and four boards. Still, for Ravena, the most important thing is the win.
“More than anything else, you can throw all the stats away. I’m sure he’ll agree with it. The most important thing is carrying out the victory,” the 25-year-old said, as NLEX are now at 3-0 after the win.
For Ravena, he’s happier to help the Road Warriors exact revenge on the Elite, since the latter beat them badly during their meeting in the 2019 Commissioner’s Cup a few months ago.
He wasn’t with NLEX then, as he was still serving his 18-month suspension by FIBA after he tested for banned substances after inadvertently taking a pre-workout drink.
“He beat us when I wasn’t playing, and we’re now even na natalo namin siya.”
