KIEFER RAVENA dribbled to the left of the key as San Beda forward Rome Dela Rosa struggled to catch-up. Red Lion import Ola Adeogun, ganged up on Ravena as the rookie “phenom” hoisted the ball to the top of the import’s outstretched arms. The ball flocked over the rim, but landed squarely in Greg Slaughter’s hands for an alley-oop slam.

Half of The Arena in San Juan erupted while Announcer Rolly Manlapaz boomed, “Greg Slaughter, from The Phenom!”

Last April 9, the rookie duo of Ravena and Slaughter led the Blue Eagles to a 90-87 win over the San Beda Red Lions in the opening game of the 2011 FilOil Flying V Preseason Premier Cup. Ravena scored 25 points, dished out four assists and tallied two swipes while the seven-foot Slaughter finished with a team-high 26 points, a pair of rebounds and a pair of blocks.

The in-game atmosphere rivaled that of a UAAP game. “I was a little nervous at first but once I was in the game it was gone,” said Slaughter.

While Coach Norman Black started with a veteran lineup, San Beda opted to parade their top recruits early on with Adeogun and NCAA Juniors MVP Baser Amer.

The Red Lions got off to a 14-4 run in the first quarter, with their Cameroonian center scoring most of the points from inside. After an Ateneo timeout, Black inserted Ravena and Slaughter into the lineup. The crowd of blue applauded as they saw both heading to the scorers’ table. Both rookies made their presence felt early, as the team went on a 10-2 run after the break. Ravena connected on jumpers while Slaughter scored on shots in the paint. The first canto ended at 18 all.

The second quarter featured more of the same as Ateneo’s offense was fluid but their defense had problems preventing second-chance opportunities. Ateneo grabbed the halftime lead after Ravena made a tough, well-defended 15-footer.

A seasoned big man for Smart Gilas, Slaughter showed off his offensive grit during the third, scoring with post moves effective even against athletic defenders like Adeogun and Sudan Daniel. Slaughter drew in several fouls, and made a living off the free-throw line with a 10 for 14 clip. Ateneo outscored San Beda 27-19 in the quarter, building a 10 point cushion entering the fourth.

The Blue and White faced their rebounding woes in the fourth as they continued to give away offensive rebounds to the Lions. The game looked comfortable enough at 74-68 in favor of Ateneo, until San Beda answered with consecutive triples to level the game.

From then on, Ravena took over. The Phenom had ice water in his veins as he nailed jumper after jumper, and eventually orchestrated the lob to Slaughter that sealed the game. With the Lions missing on their long-range bombs, the Blue Eagles held on for a 90-87 win.

By game’s end, it was a fairly even match according to statistics. Both teams shot well from the field with percentages of at least 45%. San Beda outrebounded Ateneo, 45-37. The Blue Eagles got to the charity stripe more with 18 attempts compared to the Red Lions’ 13.

New with the system, Slaughter seemed out of sorts during the game, especially on defense. “I haven’t even practiced a week straight with Ateneo … so I’m still adjusting to the plays and getting a feel playing with all the guys,” he said.

San Beda’s Adeogun led all scorers for San Beda, tallying 30 points and grabbing 13 rebounds along with two blocks. Ateneo’s Nico Salva added 21 points and grabbed six rebounds for the opening day victors.

Rookies Von Pessumal, Gwynne Capacio and Mark Tallo did not see playing time for the Blue Eagles, so what they can bring to the table is still a mystery.

Blue Eagle mainstay Ryan Buenafe was taken off the FilOil lineup due to personal reasons. Art Dela Cruz, Chris De Chavez and Jeric Estrada were likewise excluded because of academic commitments while Oping Sumalinog—having recovered from his knee injury—cracked the roster once again.

In preparation for the 74th UAAP Season, the Blue Eagles are fully booked for the preseason. A day after their win against the Red Lions, the Blue Eagles clobbered the Adamson Falcons, 72-53, in the Fr. Martin Cup. They recently returned from a friendly game in Dubai, where they faced rivals DLSU. Unfortunately, the Blue Eagles lost 62-58.

They are set to face the Lyceum Pirates on April 27, at The Arena in San Juan.