NU-Nazareth School Lady Bullpups head coach Camilla Escoto raved about having more opportunities for her players after they recently ruled the NBA Rising Stars Invitational Philippine Qualifiers.
After demolishing the competition right until the final where they drubbed La Salle Antipolo, 107-49, the Lady Bullpups earned the right to represent the Philippines in the next stage of the Rising Stars Invitational in Singapore this June.
It is not a secret that chances for girls basketball remain few outside of the UAAP season, especially for those still in high school.
So Escoto welcomed the chance to compete more outside of the UAAP with open arms, especially now as NUNS can build on its runner-up finish from Season 87.
“Yes, it’s very crucial,” Escoto said of the opportunity for girls’ hoops.
“Actually, napakasaya for us na na-organize ito ng NBA kasi first time ito. So, gulat na gulat ako kasi usually 3x3 lang yung NBA. So it’s a good first step, not just for the boys, but especially for girls basketball,” she added.
For added context, girls basketball only made a comeback in the UAAP this year since 2020, meaning that there were virtually no regular tournaments for younger women basketball players to hone their craft.
According to Escoto, this discouraged young players to pursue the sport.
Now with a chance to represent the country in the biggest of stages, Escoto is happy to see her players with added vigor in their step.
“[It gives us] additional tournaments, another tournament for the teams to look forward to, [para] mag-prepare, mag-practice. Kasi yun yung nagiging hindrance,” explained Escoto.
“Kaya yung mga bata, hindi sila motivated to practice all the time, kasi walang tournament. So very thankful to NBA and to NBA Philippines for doing this.”
One of Escoto’s players, Zuzzane Singson, was named MVP in the girls division. A player who has only joined organized basketball this year, she was also eager to take her game to the next level.
“Sobrang saya [ko] dahil pati yung NU boys makakasama namin sa Singapore at happy rin ako at yung mga bago pong nakuha sa NU, sobrang saya po dahil makakasama po kami sa Singapore, at first time din po namin makapunta sa ibang bansa,” said the 14-year-old.
The NUNS Lady Bullpups will tangle with other top high school teams across the Asia-Pacific region in a high-stakes tournament in Singapore from June 25 to 29.
