New taipei city: Strong Group-Philippines downed the Japan Developmental Team, 79-67, Monday night to secure its second win in the 44th William Jones Cup at the Xinzhuang Gymnasium in New Taipei City. The Filipinos led 39-33 at halftime but faced a challenge as Japan hit two consecutive triples to tie the game.
According to Philippines News Agency, former NBA player Andre Roberson and DJ Fenner spearheaded a decisive 31-14 run, pushing Strong Group to a 70-53 lead with just over six minutes left in the game. Head coach Charles Tiu acknowledged the physical toll on his team from the previous match, stating, "Ugly game for us. 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."
The defending champions contained Japan to only 28 points in the second half. Tiu praised the team's defensive performance and highlighted the contributions from players scoring in double figures. "Our offense still isn't too fluid, but again, credit to the guys for their defense. We had five players in double digits, which is big for us. Our locals -- Fenner, Javi, and Rhenz -- were huge," Tiu said.
Roberson, known for his tenure with the Oklahoma City Thunder, led with 15 points, 14 rebounds, and five blocks. Fenner added 14 points and eight rebounds. Javi Gomez de Lia±o contributed 13 points, while Rhenz Abando recorded 11 points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block. Tajuan Agee scored 10 points before leaving the game due to injury. For Japan, Hiyuu Ozawa led with 21 points, including four triples, and Kotetsu Kurokawa added 13 points and six rebounds.
Coach Tiu expressed concerns over Agee's injury, noting, "Agee got hurt and might miss a few games, so we'll be short a man. Hopefully, Kouame will be ready for our next game." Strong Group, following a 67-56 victory over Chinese Taipei Blue, is set to face Qatar on Tuesday. Tiu hopes the team remains stable until Kiefer Ravena returns midweek. "Kiefer will be out for one more day, so we just have to weather the storm," he stated. Ravena, who recently attended the Jordan Brand's Board of Greatness event in Greece, is anticipated to play on Wednesday against the NBL1 Rising Stars of Australia, featuring former UP standout James Spencer.
