Strong Group Athletics-Pilipinas (SGA) delivered a statement performance in the 45th William Jones Cup, overpowering Wonju DB Promy of South Korea, 113-87, on Wednesday afternoon.
The victory gave Strong Group its fourth consecutive win and improved its record to 4-1 in Group A. More importantly, SGA avenged its 110-79 defeat to Wonju in their opening game of the tournament.
Strong Group Sets the Tone
Unlike their first meeting, Strong Group immediately took control of the rematch.
The Philippine side built a 26-17 advantage after the opening quarter before continuing its offensive assault in the second period. Strong Group’s hot shooting and improved execution allowed it to take a commanding 51-35 lead into halftime.
Matthew Wright spearheaded the offensive explosion, repeatedly finding his range from beyond the arc as SGA established separation from the Korean side.
SGA Pulls Away to a Blowout Victory
Strong Group continued to dictate the tempo after halftime, maintaining its double-digit advantage while attacking efficiently from both inside and outside.
The Philippine representatives eventually built their biggest lead at 28 points as their offense continued to click. Strong Group shot an impressive 78% from the field, going 38-of-50, while also converting 18 of 26 attempts from three-point range.
Tajuan Agee and Isaiah Piñeiro also made their presence felt on both ends of the floor, although both eventually fouled out in the fourth quarter.
Wonju tried to make the game competitive in the final period, with Filipino-American guard Ethan Alvano taking over offensively. Despite the Korean side scoring 35 points in the fourth, Strong Group responded with 39 to preserve the commanding victory.
Matthew Wright and Tajuan Agee Lead Balanced Attack
Wright delivered his best offensive performance of the tournament, finishing with 24 points on 7-of-13 shooting, including six three-pointers, while adding five assists and three rebounds.
Agee also produced a monster performance with 22 points and 14 rebounds, along with two assists, three blocks, and two steals.
Ian Miller contributed 19 points, while DJ Fenner added 16. Remy Martin and Boban Marjanović chipped in 12 and 10 points, respectively.
Piñeiro, who had been Strong Group’s leading scorer in its previous games, was held to just eight points.
For Wonju, Alvano erupted for 37 points, seven assists, and five rebounds. Kang Sangjae added 19 points, while Lee Yujin scored 11.
Three-Peat Bid Hangs in the Balance
Despite the emphatic victory, Strong Group fell five points short of the 31-point margin it needed to erase Wonju’s advantage from their opening encounter.
With both teams now at 4-1, Wonju maintains the edge in the tiebreaker due to its earlier 31-point victory. This matters because of the tournament format, which supposedly was announced to the teams only at the start of the tournament. Per this new format, Chinese Taipei Blue—one of the host teams and a squad SGA previously beat already—is assured of a semifinal berth no matter their group record, leaving only one remaining spot in Group A.
“This one really hurts. It’s rare to win a game and still feel disappointed. We were close. We prepared well and really gave ourselves a chance to win, but the 32-point margin was just too much for us to overcome,” said coach Charles Tiu.
Strong Group must therefore defeat Chinese Taipei Blue on Thursday, August 20, at 7:00 p.m., and hope that Japan can upset Wonju earlier that day as that’s the only way SGA will avoid a tie with Wonju. In case the two teams finish with identical records, the South Korean side will advance by virtue of its superior head-to-head quotient. Japan is currently winless at 0-4.
