EVEN WITH RAVENA’S ARRIVAL, TIU EMPHASIZES MINUTE MANAGEMENT IN JONES CUP GRIND

Playing their third game in as many days, Strong Group-Philippines is beginning to feel the wear and tear of the William Jones Cup.

Against Qatar on Wednesday, head coach Charles Tiu made sure to manage his players’ minutes carefully, with no one playing more than 28 minutes in the 81–54 blowout win.

“We knew we had to be smart with our rotation,” said Tiu. “This tournament is a marathon, not a sprint. We’re only halfway through, and we want the guys to stay fresh and ready for the tougher games ahead.”

DJ Fenner and Javi Gomez de Liaño led the scoring with 18 points apiece, playing just 24 and 21 minutes, respectively. Ian Miller added 10 points and saw the most action at 27 minutes.

Notably, big man Tajuan Agee was rested for the game as he continues to deal with nagging pain. But he is expected to return to action moving forward.

“Tajuan will play through the pain,” said Tiu. “That’s just who he is—tough and willing to sacrifice for the team.”

Strong Group, also backed by Bet88 and UAAGI, remains unbeaten at 3-0, with five games left to play in the next five days.

Up next is a showdown with the NBL1 Rising Stars of Australia on Wednesday afternoon.

The Aussie squad currently holds a 2-2 record, with wins over UAE and Qatar and losses to Chinese-Taipei Blue and Bahrain.

Tiu is confident heading into the matchup, especially with the arrival of Kiefer Ravena, who joins the team just in time for what will be Strong Group’s first game at full strength.

“This will be the first time we’re complete,” said Tiu. “Kiefer brings leadership, composure, and stability. Having him here gives our guards and Filipino-Americans like DJ and Jason [Brickman] the support they need.”

Even with Agee back in the rotation, Tiu stressed that they’ll continue to manage everyone’s minutes to avoid burnout.

“Tajuan is good to go today after taking a break yesterday,” said Tiu. “But we’ll still be careful. There’s a lot of basketball left, and our goal is to peak at the right time.”

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