Two of the Bay of Plenty’s up-and-coming star basketballers have scored university scholarships to play overseas.

Briarley Rogers and Hineaupounamu ‘Missy’ Nuku flew out last week.

Both have come through the Tauranga City Basketball Association Representative Age-Group Programme and both have represented New Zealand in age-group basketball.

Briarley, 22, has been playing for Weatherford College in Texas for the last three years while working towards a degree in criminal justice. She’ll now transfer to West Virginia to study at Wheeling University.

“I think that playing in the US, I’ve learned so much. It’s a different style of basketball. It’s more individual-based but now that I’ve played both, it’s easier to transition when I come home to New Zealand to play.”

Briarley says not only is there a different intensity at games in sports-mad Texas, but she’s learned about another culture.

“It’s definitely been eye-opening where I was in Texas. There were genuine cowboys and the rodeos were interesting.”

Briarley Rogers and Hineaupounamu ‘Missy’ Nuku are playing basketball overseas. Photos: John Borren.

Missy, 19, admits to some nerves ahead of her journey to Edmonton, Canada, to study towards a business degree at Lakeland University.

“It has been a dream of mine for a while. I’m excited for something different and to play a different kind of basketball. I don’t have any experience overseas. All I know is this little town so this is an amazing opportunity to see what basketball can do for me.”