The NBA Rising Stars Invitational Philippines Qualifiers presented by Gatorade held its first day of pool games at the Gatorade Hoops Center in Mandaluyong City on Wednesday, May 7.
The Philippines Qualifiers feature four boys’ teams and three girls’ teams from across the country that were identified in collaboration with the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas.
On the first day of the pool games, the University of Sto. Tomas Tiger Cubs and both the National University Nazareth School boys’ and girls’ teams notched their first wins to gain an early advantage in the competition. The Senior High School-Ateneo de Cebu Magis Eagles, Ateneo de Davao Blue Knights, and the Saint Paul College of Pasig Paulinians now look to retool for their second set of games, while the La Salle College Antipolo Voyagers adamantly wait for their first matchup on the second day.
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’ team 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 10 countries and territories across Asia-Pacific competing in Singapore from June 25-29 as part of a multiday immersive basketball and entertainment festival.
As the presenting partner of the NBA Rising Stars Invitational Philippines Qualifiers, Gatorade is keeping the players and coaches hydrated throughout the tournament. Energen Champion and vivo also serve as official partners, while Cignal, the event’s official broadcaster, will air the boys’ and girls’ finals on One Sports, NBA TV Philippines and Pilipinas Live.
Standings (as of May 7)
| Boys Division | Record | Girls Division | Record |
| University of Sto. Tomas | 1-0 | National University Nazareth School | 1-0 |
| National University Nazareth School | 1-0 | St. Paul College of Pasig | 0-1 |
| Ateneo de Davao University | 0-1 | La Salle College of Antipolo | 0-0 |
| Sacred Heart School – Ateneo de Cebu | 0-1 |
Final Scores
Girls Division Game 1: NUNS Lady Bullpups 70 – 30 SPCP Paulinians
NUNS Lady Bullpups defeat the SPCP Paulinians in dominant fashion
Quarter Scores: 29-5, 45-17, 54-21, 70-30
The National University Nazareth School (NUNS) Lady Bullpups cruised through the St. PaulCP Paulinians throughout their first game of the Rising Stars Invitational Philippines Qualifiers. From the tip, NUNS jumped to a 22-0 run as SPCP’s first score came from a Stephie Contreras three-pointer at the 3:36 mark of the first quarter. The Paulinians leveled up their defensive intensity in the second quarter, but it still wasn’t enough as NUNS kept their sizable edge. The 1-2 punch of Aubrey Lapasaran and Zaydhen Rosano proved to be too much, giving them the 40-point victory, 70-30.
The Lady Bullpups now tally their first win of the Philippines Qualifiers, while SPCP’s record goes down 0-1. In the second day of the pool games, the Paulinians will open the competition for the La Salle College Antipolo Voyagers as NUNS will prepare for their Thursday showcase against the latter.
Boys Division Game 1: UST Tiger Cubs 93 – 64 SHS-ADC Magis Eagles
Right from the tip, the UST Tiger Cubs and the SHS-ADC Magis Eagles matched up evenly as they went back-and-forth throughout the first quarter. From that point onwards, the championship poise of the Tiger Cubs eventually unveiled itself to SHS-ADC, as standouts such as John Canapi and Joaquin Ludovice started to pop off from the perimeter. This proved too much to overcome for the Magis Eagles as they saw themselves face a 25-point hole to end the third period. UST stayed hot, ultimately winning by 29 points, 93-64.
The Tiger Cubs now hold a 1-0 record, while the Magis Eagles falter to 0-1 after the first day of the pool games. UST will take on their league rivals in NUNS on the third game of the second day, while the Magis Eagles match up against their Davao counterparts.
Boys Division Game 2: NUNS Bullpups 67 – 52 ADD Blue Knights
The NUNS Bullpups and the ADD Blue Knights both started the hotly-contested pool game with high intensity plays on both offense and defense. As both squads would not give each other a comfortable edge, the second quarter saw NUNS stalwart Moussa Diakite and ADD forward Rene Baterbonia get tangled up, which led to both players on the floor on consecutive occasions. Even with the pressure, the Bullpups showed a strong mental game that led them to pull through from the Blue Knights as the final buzzer sounded, 67-52.
The Bullpups are now 1-0 in the Philippines Qualifiers pool games, with the Blue Knights succumbing to an early 0-1 hole. NUNS will be pitted against their league rivals in UST on the second day, while the Blue Knights face a fellow school in the Ateneo system in the Magis Eagles.
