KIEFER Ravena lamented the Shiga Lakes’ relegation to the Japan B2 League, after a sorry season that saw them win only 14 of 60 games in the top flight.
After their loss to the Kyoto Hannaryz, 85-69, in their final game of the year, Shiga was officially demoted to the second division for the 2023-24 season.
More than the failure to stay in the top flight, Ravena was disappointed that they were unable to live up to expectations of the fans that had been supporting them.
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“Obviously, disappointed in our final game," said Ravena. “We weren't able to give the fans, the boosters a victory. I mean, no matter what happened, they were there to support us, all throughout the year.
"Besides the relegation, we have people supporting us all throughout the year, who never let us down, home games or away games. So yeah, it's a tough situation right now.”
It remains to be seen if Ravena will sign for a third year with the Shiga Lakes or if he will be taking his talents elsewhere.
But after wrapping up his second year with the Lakes, the former Ateneo standout tried to stick to the positives.
“I guess the positive side is, you know, especially when we're down during the first part or the half part of the season where everything was happening, the team became more of a family," he said.
“We had nobody to rely on but ourselves, from the coaching staff, teammates, staff, and everybody else in the organization. I think that's one thing that I can really take from this season amid all the crazy things that happened.”
Ravena still believes there were some bright spots to the year, including a short stretch in the latter half of the season where Shiga mounted a win streak in a belated attempt to get itself out of the hole.
“One way or another, I felt like we turned it around. We were really down and out, we almost had no chance of really fighting for the last game of the season. But we had the chance, we had a way to control the outcome of our season,” said Ravena.
“I know it's not the ending that we were all looking forward to, but again individually, we grow. Life moves on, and we take everything from our learning lesson from this year, and apply it for all of our careers, individually.” He continued.
For the playoff-bound teams in Division 1, hostilities begin Friday, May 12.
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