Strong Group Athletics-Pilipinas ended its 45th William Jones Cup campaign on a winning note, defeating Jordan, 96-91, in the fifth-place game on Friday evening.
The victory gave Strong Group a 6-1 overall record in the tournament, including six consecutive wins after its opening-day loss to Wonju DB Promy. However, the two-time defending champions ultimately settled for fifth place after missing out on the semifinals despite finishing the group stage with a 5-1 record, as Chinese Taipei Blue was already granted an automatic semifinal slot per tournament rules.
Strong Group Holds Slim Halftime Lead
The classification game remained tightly contested from the opening tip, with neither team able to establish significant separation.
Strong Group managed to take a narrow 50-48 advantage into halftime, but Jordan came out stronger in the third quarter. The Jordanians outscored the Philippine side, 26-21, and eventually took a 74-71 lead heading into the final period.
Jordan later stretched its advantage to seven points at 80-73 before Strong Group mounted its comeback.
SGA Turns the Game Around
Strong Group quickly cut the deficit to 80-79 early in the fourth quarter before Ian Miller delivered the go-ahead basket on a drive with 6:29 remaining.
That play sparked a crucial 13-4 run for the Filipinos, with Isaiah Piñeiro and Titing Manalili making timely contributions to help SGA establish an 89-80 cushion.
Manalili continued to make an impact off the bench, attacking the basket for a strong finish with 1:41 left that extended Strong Group’s lead to 94-85.
Jordan attempted to stay within striking distance, but the Philippine side held its composure down the stretch to secure the five-point victory.
Boban Marjanović Saves His Best for Last
Boban Marjanović delivered his best performance of the tournament in his final Jones Cup appearance, leading Strong Group with 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting.
The former NBA center also grabbed eight rebounds and dished out three assists, providing a strong interior presence throughout the contest.
Tajuan Agee added 17 points and four rebounds, while Matthew Wright and Miller contributed 15 points apiece. DJ Fenner chipped in 11 points, while Manalili finished with six points and four assists in just 11 minutes.
Jordan was led by Hadi Alhami, who recorded 21 points and nine rebounds. Abdullah Olajuwon, son of NBA legend Hakeem Olajuwon, added 18 points, while Saif Saleh contributed 12.
Strong Group Athletics Ends on Winning Note
The Philippines secured a fifth-place finish in the tournament, highlighted by a five-game winning streak following their opening loss to South Korea.
Strong Group Athletics responded by defeating Japan and Chinese Taipei Blue twice, getting their revenge against Wonju DB Promy, and ending the tournament on a winning note with a victory over Jordan.
With the introduction of a new tournament format, Strong Group’s two-year reign as William Jones Cup champions came to an end.
Nevertheless, the Philippine side showed it was more than capable of competing in the finals and was undoubtedly denied an opportunity to potentially accomplish a historic three-peat.
