STRONG GROUP-PHILIPPINES STORMS BACK, DOWNS CHINESE TAIPEI TO BEGIN JONES CUP TITLE DEFENSE
NEW TAIPEI CITY — Strong Group-Philippines leaned on a third-quarter explosion powered by Andre Roberson and Rhenz Abando to rally past Chinese Taipei Blue, 67-56, and kick off its William Jones Cup title defense on a winning note Sunday night at the Xinzhuang Gymnasium.
Shaking off a nightmare start where they made just one field goal in the opening quarter, the defending champions, backed by Bet88 and United Asia Automotive Group Inc. (UAAGI), found their groove after halftime, unleashing a stunning 26-2 blitz that flipped a 28-35 deficit into a 54-37 advantage entering the final period.
Anchoring the rally was Roberson, the former Oklahoma City Thunder standout, who ignited a searing 21-0 run with his relentless hustle on both ends. His and-one bucket at the 5:19 mark gave Strong Group its first taste of the lead, 37-35, and set the tone for a momentum-shifting stretch.
Roberson followed up with a pair of baskets, while Abando thrilled the crowd with consecutive fastbreak dunks. By the time Lin Tinqian halted the drought for Chinese Taipei with a lone free throw late in the third, Strong Group had firmly seized control.
"This is why we built a team like this—a team predicated on defense, with Dre Rob and Agee leading the way. But give credit to our locals—Dave, DJ, Rhenz, and Jason—as they were able to lock in defensively after we made some adjustments,” said head coach Charles Tiu.
Chinese Taipei was held without a single field goal for nearly nine minutes as DJ Fenner and Dave Ildefonso joined the scoring party to close out a dominant quarter that silenced the home crowd and highlighted Strong Group’s defensive tenacity.
Despite easing off the gas in the fourth, Strong Group maintained composure. Chinese Taipei trimmed the lead to single digits late in the game, but Abando calmly drilled a dagger three-pointer with 45.6 seconds left to settle the outcome.
Roberson delivered a commanding performance in the absence of Kiefer Ravena—who missed the game due to his participation in a Jordan Brand event in Athens—finishing with 17 points, 19 rebounds (including nine offensive), and five steals.
“He was incredible,” Tiu said of Roberson. “His energy really lifted the whole team in that third quarter. We were flying around, rotating on defense, just doing everything right. That’s the kind of effort we need every single game.”
Abando added 11 points, three assists, two rebounds, two steals, and two blocks, while Ian Miller contributed 16 points despite a cold 5-of-17 clip from the field.
Strong Group endured a rocky start, hitting just one of their first 14 attempts and falling behind, 7-19, after the first quarter. But Miller found his rhythm in the second period, scoring seven of his 16 to help cut the gap to seven at halftime.
Chen Yingjun was the lone bright spot for Chinese Taipei with 14 points and five rebounds, but he received little support as the hosts faltered under Strong Group’s full-court pressure and halfcourt traps.
The Philippine-based squad will try to build on the momentum when it returns to action against Japan on Monday at 5:00 p.m., still at the Xinzhuang Gymnasium.
“We’ll enjoy this win for a few hours,” Tiu said, “but then it’s back to business. There’s still a long way to go in this tournament.”
