Sisters got game: SMS Girlstown nuns show some hoops skills

Nuns from the Sisters of Mary-Girlstown show off their basketball skills in he culminating day of the Chooks-to-Go/Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas 3×3 basketball last Sunday, January 13, 2019, in Talisay City. Contributed photo

Talisay City, Cebu – The nuns of the Sisters of Mary-Girlstown showed amateur superstars Thirdy Ravena and Kobe Paras that they had game as they swished one basket after another in a shootout during the culminating day of the Chooks-to-Go/Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas 3×3 basketball last Sunday, January 13, 2019, in Talisay City.

Ravena and Paras were part of the huge delegation that flew to Cebu to take part in the record attempt for most players in a FIBA 3×3-sanctioned event. 

The two studs spent a couple of days with the students of Girlstown and Boystown but stressed that getting to play with the nuns was undoubtedly the highlight of the trip.

“Sobra akong natuwa, ngayon lang ako nakakita ng madre na nag basketball. So sobrang highlight yun sa akin, na shoot pa niya. Sobrang enjoy. The atmosphere was amazing,” said Ravena, who played the unlikely role of ball boy during the shootout.

On Saturday over at the Boystown in Minglanilla, the duo played in an exhibition game with the champions of the 2018 SBP U-16 3×3 Pambansang Tatluhan.

Then on Sunday, Paras and Ravena played with Girlstown’s finest but the students wanted their nuns to give the game a shot. 

Three sisters indulged the crowd, and the crowd that gathered around one of the 36 half courts inside the campus.

“It really shows that basketball or sports in general is something that can really unite people no matter what your background is,” shared Paras.

“I’m really happy that we went to Boystown and Girlstown so we can show people that basketball isn’t just for boys. It’s for girls. It’s not for people who are privileged, it’s not for people who have shoes, it’s not for people who have houses, it’s for everyone,” the son of Philippine basketball legend, Benjie Paras, added.

The splendid welcome that both campuses gave the two athletes, Chooks-to-Go president Ronald Mascariñas, SBP executive director Sonny Barrios, and Gilas team manager Butch Antonio proved to be an unforgettable experience for all those involved. 

The students surrounded the whole perimeter of the massive campus to show their appreciation to the entourage. bjo