The road to the NBA Rising Stars Invitational championship is officially set after a dramatic day of basketball at Singapore’s OCBC Arena, where nail-biting finishes determined the semifinal matchups in both the boys’ and girls’ divisions.

With every possession carrying added significance, several contests went down to the final moments as powerhouse schools from across the Asia-Pacific battled for the remaining spots in the knockout stage. While Philippine representative University of Santo Tomas (UST) saw its campaign come to an end, the tournament delivered another showcase of elite high school basketball and rising international talent.

Girls’ semifinal showdown set after Rowville edges UST

The girls’ semifinals will feature Seika Girls’ High School taking on Rowville Secondary College at 10:10 a.m., followed by Yangming High School facing Yali High School at 12:10 p.m.

Rowville earned its place after surviving a tense encounter against the University of Santo Tomas, prevailing in one of the day’s closest contests. The victory capped an impressive performance from the Australian side, which now shifts its focus to Seika Girls’ High School with a place in the championship game on the line.

UST head coach Arsenio Dysangco said the experience of competing against some of the region’s top high school teams will benefit his squad as it prepares for the upcoming UAAP season.

“It’s a big opportunity and a big help to our upcoming UAAP season preparation, because there’s a saying that ‘if a mind is stretched beyond its limit, it doesn’t go back to its same dimension.’ So I feel that the players have seen how international play is really like, and I think that would help mature their game psychologically and emotionally.

“At the same time, my goal here is to see where UST’s high school program is compared to other schools. And I got a pretty good idea and I’ve learned a lot from my experience here, which I’m going to take back home and use it to improve UST’s basketball program even more,” Dysangco said.

The closely contested matchup highlighted the growing competitiveness of the NBA Rising Stars Invitational, with teams from across the region consistently pushing one another in high-pressure situations.

Boys’ bracket features more thrilling finishes

The boys’ competition also produced plenty of late-game drama.

Berwick College booked its place in the semifinals after escaping with a hard-fought two-point victory over Tongtex Secondary High School. The narrow win sets up a semifinal clash against Kyungbock High School at 4:10 p.m.

The second boys’ semifinal will feature Tsinghua University High School against Tottori Johoku High School at 6:10 p.m., completing a lineup of four schools vying for a place in the tournament final.

Despite falling short of the semifinals, FEU-Diliman Baby Tamaraws player Prince Cariño, 26, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to compete on the international stage.

“I feel so blessed and thankful for this experience and opportunity from the NBA,” Cariño said.

Away from the court, fans can continue enjoying activities at the Fan Zone at Kallang Wave Mall, where NBA champion and Olympic gold medallist Mitch Richmond is scheduled to hold a meet-and-greet session at 4:15 p.m.

With the semifinal field now finalized following a day packed with dramatic finishes, the NBA Rising Stars Invitational enters its decisive stage as the region’s top high school basketball teams battle for the title.

Fans can find the latest scores, statistics and the full tournament schedule at NBARisingStarsInvitational.com.