Kiefer Ravena proved once again that he is the stable presence Shiga needs.
The Filipino import powered the Lakestars’ huge come-from-behind win against the upset-seeking Ibaraki, taking a 93-88 victory, Saturday at Ukaruchan Arena.
Down by as much as 11 points in the final frame, 75-64, Ravena did not panic. He settled his team as they slowly chopped down the lead.
Behind the floor generalship of Ravena, the Lakestars went on a 15-3 spurt capped by a huge bucket by the Gilas captain.
Eric Jacobsen tried to stop Shiga’s momentum, but Ovie Soko and Ravena teamed up, scoring big buckets to avert an upset.
Ravena had 13 points, four assists, three rebounds, and two steals while going a plus-20 for the game.
Soko, a member of Great Britain’s national team, had 37 big points with five rebounds and a block. Meanwhile, Novar Gadson 23 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and two steals.
The win raised Shiga’s slate to 2-1 while dropping the Robots to 0-3.
On the other hand, Jacobsen paced Ibaraki with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Marc Trasolini had 14 points and eight rebounds.
Chehales Tapscott and Kohei Fukuzawa added 11 and 10 points, respectively, for the Robots.
Javi Gomez de Liaño, Ibaraki’s Asian Quota Player, is still in quarantine.
The two squads face off again tomorrow at 1:35 PM (Manila time).
