These girls got game.
The La Salle College Antipolo (LSCA) Voyagers showed an electric comeback performance in Day 2 of the NBA Rising Stars Invitational Philippines Qualifiers against the St. Paul College Pasig Paulinians, ensuring a spot in the girls' team finals on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the National University Nazareth School (NUNS) Bullpups exacted revenge on their UAAP Season 87 finals tormentor UST Tiger Cubs in a blowout match.
UST, along with the Ateneo de Davao Blue Knights, would have to fight for survival in Day 3.
[ALSO READ: UST, NUNS off to winning start in 2025 NBA Rising Stars Invitational-Philippines qualifiers]
Girls Division: LSCA Voyagers 65-60 SPCP Paulinians
Thursday opened with a thrilling affair between LSCA and SPCP, with the Voyagers pulling off a Krizzy Eustaquio-led comeback in the final six minutes of the game, 65-60.
The game started tight, with LSCA just ahead, 20-18.
Stephie Contreras (28) and Brooklyn Sanchez (23) though gave St. Paul much more breathing room in the second frame. The Paulinians outscored the Voyagers in that quarter, 15-8. That lead grew to nine after the half.
However, Eustaquio sparked the Voyagers' epic 11-0 run in the last six minutes of the game to retake the lead and run with it, 60-53.
LSCA held SPCP scoreless until the last two minutes, until Contreras stepped in to keep the Paulinians alive at 60-60.
Eustaquio though sank a basket within a minute and sealed the game with a free throw.
"Laban lang po talaga. Sinasabi lang namin sa isa't isa na lalaban po kami hanggang dulo, and 'di susuko hangga't 'di natatapos 'yung oras," the point guard told NBA TV Philippines. Eustaquio racked up 27 points from 12-of-27 shooting from the field, along with six rebounds, two assists, and six steals.
She admitted to being a fan of New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu's driven mindset and Golden State Warriors ace Stephen Curry's clutch shooting.
Coach Arvin Flores admitted he went hard on his young star.
"I've been all over her in the game because she was overpassing," Flores said. "We told her to hold the ball and just attack. I was kind of in her face because she kept passing the ball and I wanted her to attack. And in the end, she attacked. We're happy for it."
Flores also credited the Voyagers' defense clicking at the right time, making 16 steals and five blocks overall compared to the Paulinians' 19 and 0. Those led to 30 LSCA points off turnovers.
The Voyagers get their first win, but would then have to face the NUNS Lady Bullpups (1-0) in the third day of the Philippine Qualifiers. Meanwhile, the Paulinians bow out with a 0-2 record.
Boys Division: SHS-ADC Magis Eagles 70-54 ADD Blue Knights
In a showdown between Ateneo affiliate basketball programs, the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-ADC) Magis Eagles jumped to an early lead against the Ateneo de Davao (ADD) Blue Knights, 70-54.
The Blue Knights were then able to tie the game up at 10 apiece, but the Magis Eagles kept their lead despite the ADD rally.
Led by the performances of Corian Cabantog (16) and Xander Magbanua (15), the Magis Eagles stayed ahead by double digits for the next three quarters.
Small forward Jhon Pelegrino’s (24) free throws kept the game afloat for coach Jess Evangelio’s squad but despite several attempts to ignite their comeback, SHS-ADC imposed their tight-knit defense to record their first win of the pool games.
With a 1-1 standing, the Magis Eagles will prepare to face the NUNS Bullpups on the third day of competition. For the Blue Knights, they will have to win their third fixture against the UST Tiger Cubs to stay in the running for the finals.
Boys Division: NUNS Bullpups 75-49 UST Tiger Cubs
The NUNS Bullpups were dominant from start to finish in their revenge game against the UST Tiger Cubs, 75-49.
In the rematch of the UAAP Season 87 boys basketball finals, the Bullpups caught the league champions sleeping with a 24-4 first quarter run. NUNS refused to let that lead go, and allowed it to balloon up to 32.
The Bullpups made 49.2% of their field goals and dominated the boards, 40-21. They also provided better playmaking with 20 dishes compared to the Tiger Cubs' seven.
Shaun Lucido topscored for NUNS with 19 points, while Rob Celiz chipped in with 17.
"Dahil natalo kami sa kanila sa championship game, yung mindset namin ay makabawi sa UST. Nung lumamang kami nang malaki, sabi ni coach na huwag kaming mag-relax dahil malayo pa yung game. Kaya yung naging mentality namin ay mag-enjoy lang sa laro habang ginagawa yung best na kaya namin," Lucido said.
Nickson Cabanero led UST with 14 as the lone Tiger Cub in double-digits.
"Siguro physically and mentally, 'di prepared mga player namin kaya ganun kataas 'yung tambak. Pero that's part of basketball," UST coach Noli Mejos said. "Ginigising ko sila pero nakatulog pa rin sila hangang third and fourth."
"Bawi na lang, may game pa bukas."
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What happens next?
NUNS now leads the boys’ division standings at 2-0, with their final pool game set against the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu Magis Eagles. UST will match up with the Ateneo de Davao Blue Knights for their third fixture with the goal of improving their 1-1 record.
San Antonio Spurs’ Jeremy Sochan had a brief appearance in the Gatorade Hoops Center to catch the competition. Speaking about his expectations from the participating players. "Just play hard and bring the energy. It’s not all about scoring. Everyone has a role in some type of way, just find that and be yourself," he said.
[ALSO READ: Jeremy Sochan believes Philippines a 'perfect spot' to host NBA Global Games anew]
@onesportsphl [tg vid] Jeremy Sochan talks hoops culture, hopes for NBA game in PH | #OSOnTheSpot ‘THIS WOULD BE A PERFECT SPOT FOR AN NBA GAME ONE DAY’ 🏀🇵🇭 San Antonio Spurs’ Jeremy Sochan is soaking in the love during his visit to the Philippines, hoping the NBA brings a Global Game to the country. | via Pao Ambat/One Sports #OneSports #OSOnTheSpot #NBA ? original sound - OneSportsPHL
NBA Asia Head of Growth and Innovation Ed Winkle expressed interest in further growing the tournament in the country with more participating high schools.
"This year, we’re just starting out. We definitely see the opportunity to expand this across the Philippines, more teams involved, more teams vying to represent the Philippines in the future," said Winkle.
The pool games from May 7-9 will determine the top two teams in each division that will advance to the final games on May 10 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City. The winning boys’ and girls’ teams of the Philippines Qualifiers will then represent their schools at the NBA Rising Stars Invitational, the league’s first regional high-school basketball tournament, which will feature boys’ and girls’ teams from 11 countries and territories across Asia-Pacific competing in Singapore from June 25-29.
The boys' and girls' finals will be aired on One Sports, NBA TV Philippines, and the Pilipinas Live app.
