STRONG GROUP REMAINS UNBEATEN WITH WIN OVER JAPAN
NEW TAIPEI CITY — Strong Group-Philippines overcame fatigue and a shorthanded rotation to notch its second consecutive win in the 44th William Jones Cup, pulling away late to defeat the Japan Developmental Team, 79-67, on Monday at the Xinzhuang Gymnasium.
Despite a sluggish start and a gritty Japanese challenge, it was a powerful second-half push led by Andre Roberson and DJ Fenner that carried SGA to victory.
Strong Group, also backed by Bet88 and UAAGI, saw their 39-33 halftime lead evaporate quickly after Japan drilled two straight three-pointers to open the third quarter, tying the game at 39-all.
Roberson and Fenner responded with timely buckets and defensive stops, fueling a game-changing 31-14 run that bridged the third and fourth quarters.
That decisive blitz gave Strong Group a commanding 70-53 advantage with just over six minutes left — a gap the young Japanese squad could not close.
“Ugly game for us,” admitted head coach Charles Tiu. “The guys were beat up from yesterday’s match—we were really spent. Japan put a lot of pressure on us, and it was tough with just Jason and Ian as our primary ball handlers.”
Still, Strong Group managed to dig deep, leaning on their defense to overcome the challenge.
The defending champions held Japan to just 28 points in the second half.
“Our offense still isn’t too fluid, but again, credit to the guys for their defense,” added Tiu. “We had five players in double digits, which is big for us. Our locals—Fenner, Javi, and Rhenz—were huge.”
Roberson, a former NBA standout known for his defense, anchored the team on both ends with 15 points, 14 rebounds, and five blocks — an all-around performance that set the tone in the second half.
Fenner added 14 points and eight rebounds in another solid showing, while Javi Gomez de Liaño provided steady offense, finishing with 13 points on an efficient 6-of-8 shooting clip.
Rhenz Abando contributed across the board with 11 points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block, while Tajuan Agee chipped in 10 points before exiting the game due to injury.
“Agee got hurt and might miss a few games, so we’ll be short a man,” said Tiu. “Hopefully, Kouame will be ready for tomorrow's game.”
Now at 2-0, Strong Group will look to extend its unbeaten run when it battles Qatar on Tuesday at 5 p.m.
Tiu hopes the team can stay steady until Kiefer Ravena rejoins the squad midweek.
“Kiefer will be out for one more day, so we just have to weather the storm,” he added.
Ravena is currently en route from Greece, where he attended the Jordan Brand’s Board of Greatness event in Athens.
He is expected to suit up in Wednesday’s matchup against the NBL1 Rising Stars of Australia, a team that features former UP standout James Spencer.
Hiyuu Ozawa paced Japan with 21 points, including four three-pointers, while Kotetsu Kurokawa added 13 points and six boards.
