The Japan B.League club announced on Twitter on Friday that the 23-year-old Ravena was already allowed to join San-En NeoPhoenix training scrimmages after testing negative for COVID-19. Then the day after, Ravena trails San-En with a big win over Levanga Hokkaido, 83-69, Saturday at the Hokkaido Prefectural Sports Center.

Last November 27, the former Blue Eagles swingman found out he contracted the virus and was set to the sidelines for a couple of weeks which made him miss the four games.

On December 11, after concluding a 14-day quarantine period and registering a negative result for his RT-PCR test, he was then permitted to rejoin the squad’s training. 

“Thirdy Ravena met the standards. (The) Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has received notification of cancellation of home medical treatment from the medical institution in Toyohashi,” the team announced on Twitter.

“He tested negative for COVID-19, so he is back in practice,” they added.

It was then on December 12, that Ravena made a triumphant return, snapping the team’s eight-game losing skid over Levanga Hokkaido.

Ravena, who just recovered from the COVID-19, played only limited minutes but impressed with 5 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists in 18 minutes off the bench.

NeoPhoenix’s imports Kyle Hunt and Stevan Jelovac ace big points for the team with Hunt tallying 22 points, 11 rebounds, a steal, and a block, while Jelovac tallied 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists and Stevan Jelovac finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds.

The Serbian Jelovac towed San-En capping off a 20-5 run with a triple to put the NeoPhoenix ahead 39-25 with two minutes left on the clock. 

Then, San-En was all over the game, leaving Hokkaido with a 30-point deficit, 73-43, in the middle of the fourth quarter which rolled to an obvious win.

Takanobu Nishikawa and Tatsuya Suzuki helped San-En with eleven and nine points respectively.

Jawad Williams led Hokkaido with 15 points and eight rebounds, while Asahi Tajima added 14 points and seven assists. 

San-En rose to 3-17 with the victory while dropping Hokkaido to 4-15.

The two teams will battle again Sunday afternoon at the same venue, this time, hopefully, Serbian coach Branislav Vicentic will give Ravena more playing time.