STRONG GROUP-PHILIPPINES COMPLETES BACK-TO-BACK JONES CUP SWEEPS
NEW TAIPEI CITY — Strong Group-Philippines wrapped up another flawless run in the William Jones Cup, dismantling the United Arab Emirates, 87-62, on Sunday to complete a perfect 8-0 sweep and secure their second straight championship at the Xinzhuang Gymnasium.
With the title already in hand entering the final day, the Filipinos refused to take their foot off the gas, treating the fans to a show of dominance that capped a historic run.
It marked the Philippines' eighth overall Jones Cup crown—following previous triumphs by Northern Cement (1982), San Miguel (1985), the Centennial Team (1998), Gilas Pilipinas (2012), Mighty Sports (2016 and 2019), and Strong Group (2024 and 2025).
“We are happy to win a championship again. We never take anything for granted,” said head coach Charles Tiu, who has now guided Strong Group to two Jones Cup titles. “Our bosses go all out every time to win and to support our teams whenever we represent the country.”
While the UAE came in winless, the game was far from a walk in the park early on.
Strong Group led by just one at the half, 37-36, before responding with a surge that broke the game wide open.
Tajuan Agee and Allen Liwag powered a decisive third-quarter blitz that gave the team a 62-52 cushion.
Kiefer Ravena and Dave Ildefonso then closed it out in the fourth, delivering clutch buckets to seal the win and polish off another sweeping campaign.
Agee topped five SGA players in double figures with 20 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Ravena added 13 points, including three triples, and tallied nine assists. Fenner and Ian Miller scored 12 apiece, while Ildefonso added 10 in the victory.
With the championship already in the bag, Andre Roberson, one of the tournament’s most consistent performers, was given the day off.
Strong Group’s second-half dominance held UAE at bay, as the Filipinos outscored them 50-26 after the break.
The victory extended their unbeaten run to 16 games across the 2024 and 2025 editions, with this year’s wins coming by an average margin of 19.38 points.
Their path to the title included wins over Chinese-Taipei Blue (67-56), Japan Developmental (79-67), Qatar (81-54), Australia’s NBL1 Rising Stars (91-75), Chinese-Taipei White (107-75), Malaysia (106-98), and Bahrain (92-68).
The championship roster featured DJ Fenner, Jason Brickman, Geo Chiu, Javi Gomez de Liaño, Rhenz Abando, Angelo Kouame, and reserve Anthony Roberson.
“It’s special, especially because I don’t know if we will be able to have this group again,” Tiu reflected. “DJ and Brickman are probably joining the draft, Javi and Rhenz will probably have different teams already, and we don’t know where our other guys will be next year.”
“But we had a great group of guys—guys committed to winning and sacrificing for the team. It’s rare to have this kind of chemistry and character guys on the team.”
Despite the uncertainty ahead, Tiu hinted at plans to keep the momentum going by hosting top-level basketball in the Philippines.
“We haven’t figured out what's next, but me, Boss Frank, and Boss Jacob Lao are talking about potentially having an invitational in Manila,” he revealed. “I’ve talked to some teams and they’re interested, so let’s see. But for now, we are just going to enjoy the moment here.”
