New taipei city: Strong Group-Philippines clobbered Qatar, 81-54, Tuesday night to stay perfect in the 44th William Jones Cup at the Xinzhuang Gymnasium in New Taipei City. DJ Fenner and Javi Gomez de Lia±o were pivotal, each scoring 18 points to lead the team to victory, marking their third win following successes over Chinese Taipei Blue and Japan Developmental Team.

According to Philippines News Agency, the Filipinos are currently on an impressive 11-game winning streak, dating back to their title sweep last year. Head coach Charles Tiu emphasized the importance of defense in their strategy, stating, "Defense has been great for us. That's what we've been preaching from day one. Defense wins championships. We held another team to below 60."

DJ Fenner also contributed seven rebounds and one assist, while Javi Gomez de Lia±o added 13 points in the second half. Ian Miller supported the team with 10 points and nine rebounds, Dave Ildefonso chipped in eight points, five assists, and three rebounds, and Andre Roberson dominated the boards with 10 rebounds, along with three assists, two blocks, and two steals.

Qatar, on the other hand, suffered its third loss in the tournament. Strong Group anticipates the arrival of Kiefer Ravena in Taiwan, who is expected to play a significant role in their upcoming match against Australia.

Despite the team's success, they face challenges with player health. Coach Tiu mentioned, "We're banged up right now. Tajuan [Agee] is hurting, Roberson's knee is swollen, Ian [Miller]'s plantar is bothering him, and Rhenz [Abando]'s hamstring might keep him out for the Australia game. Even Dave [Ildefonso] and Geo [Chiu] are fighting off illness. Jason [Brickman] is very fatigued as well." Despite these concerns, the coach remains optimistic, "Only issue right now is our health. But we will keep fighting 'til the end."

Currently, Bahrain leads the nine-nation field with an undefeated 4-0 record.