Strong Group Athletics-Pilipinas bounced back from its disappointing opening loss and secured its first victory in the 2026 William Jones Cup, overcoming Japan, 78-72, on Saturday, August 15.
The win allowed the two-time defending champions to improve to 1-1 in Group A after suffering a 110-79 defeat to South Korea’s Wonju DB Promy in their tournament opener.
A Close Match After Three Quarters
Strong Group and Japan battled through a tightly contested first three quarters, with neither side able to establish a commanding advantage.
Japan eventually entered the final period with a 60-55 lead after closing the third quarter with a 12-4 run. Earlier in the period, Boban Marjanovic helped Strong Group briefly move ahead, 51-48, but Japan quickly responded to regain control.
The Japanese side then extended its advantage to 66-60 early in the fourth quarter behind a jumper and two free throws from Hiyuu Ozawa.
A Strong Response from Strong Group in the Fourth Quarter
Facing another difficult situation, SGA found its rhythm when it mattered most.
Puertorican National player Isaiah Piñeiro started the comeback with a jumper before scoring on a putback. Matthew Wright and debuting guard Ian Miller followed with back-to-back layups, putting Strong Group ahead, 72-70, with 2:52 remaining.
Japan had opportunities to reclaim the lead, but crucial missed free throws opened the door for the Philippine side. Gakuto Arai converted an and-one opportunity, but failed to complete the three-point play, leaving Japan behind, 72-71, with 49.4 seconds remaining.
Miller then calmly converted two free throws with 35.1 seconds left to give Strong Group a 74-71 advantage. After Gen Hiraiwa split his own free throws, Miller and Piñeiro knocked down their charities in the closing seconds to secure the victory.
Strong Group outscored Japan, 23-12, in the fourth quarter and finished the game on an 18-6 surge.
Isaiah Piñeiro Leads the Charge for SGA’s First Win
Piñeiro once again provided a major spark for Strong Group, finishing with 21 points and 11 rebounds.
Wright contributed 15 points, four rebounds, and three assists, while Tajuan Agee added 14 points and nine rebounds. Miller, who stepped into the lineup after Allen Liwag’s injury, made his presence felt during the comeback and finished with nine points.
Marjanovic also delivered a solid performance on his 38th birthday, posting nine points and seven rebounds in 12 minutes.
Japan was led by Arai, who scored a game-high 25 points, while Ozawa added 13.
Coach Charles Tiu Praises Team’s Resilience
Strong Group head coach Charles Tiu credited his players for responding strongly after their opening-day setback while acknowledging that the team still has areas to improve.
“Good bounce-back win. We just had to. There was no way we could play as badly as we did yesterday. We had our moments, but we still had a few bad stretches. We played some really good defense in the fourth quarter,” he said.
“We are slowly finding our groove, and we need these types of games, although I’m hoping we can have a more dominant performance,” he added.
It is, in fact, a huge improvement since against South Korea, SGA never got close and chipped down the huge lead as Wonju DB Promy snapped their 16-game win streak.
“We need to get back to playing our SGA brand of basketball and find our identity. It’s a long tournament, but we definitely need to step up to beat Taipei.”
Strong Group will look to make it two straight victories when it faces Chinese Taipei Blue whose record is also 1-1, later tonight at 7:00 p.m.
