The Strong Group Athletics Philippines had a great start for their campaign in the 34th Dubai International Basketball Championship. But it ended in a disappointing finish, what happened?
A Strong Start: 4-0
Mimicking the same way they started last year’s Dubai Tournament, SGA also swept through the eliminations and were undefeated. This year, they were led by reliable reinforcement in the name of Chris McCullough. In 4 games he averaged 21 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.7 blocks. He is followed by this team’s other import, the former NBA Superstar DeMarcus Cousins. Boogie averaged 15 points, 5.8 boards, 2.2 dimes, a steal, and 0.7 blocks. Malachi Richardson is the last import of SGA who’s game is truly elevated. He averaged 15 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists,s and 0.7 steals per outing.
For their locals, it was Rhenz Abando who carried the scoring for the Philippine squad. Throughout the elims, he averaged 9 points along with 2 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 1 steal, and 0.5 blocks. The other two locals who stood out among everybody were Mikey Williams and Dave Ildefonso. Mikey averaged 7.7 points, 2.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1 steal while Dave averaged 8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 0.5 assists, and 0.7 steals.
Strong Group defeated the National Team of UAE 99 – 91 in their first game, against Al Nasr SC 99 – 87 in their second, versus Beirut First 85 – 78, and against Amman United 84 – 75 in the last game of the elimination round. They were the favorites to win the championship and are heavily expected to be in the Finals game.
Dominant QuarterFinals but an “Unfair” Semis
As expected, the team led by Coach Charles Tiu dominated their Quarter Finals matchup against Sharjah SC with a final score of 100 – 63. Both McCullough and Cousins led their team to a victory as Chris recorded 20 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks while Boogie had 21 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block. For the locals, it was both Ildefonso and Williams who shined the most. Dave had 11 points, 1 rebound, and 2 assists while Mikey had a phenomenal 11 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal. It was really looking good for the Philippines as they were set to face the Tunisian National Team in the Semifinals until their game went sideways.
A lot of calls are called on the Philippine team but the whistle doesn’t get blown when the players of SGA are getting fouled. It was a relatively close game up until the last second. Rhenz Abando attempted a 3-point shot in order to tie the game (66 – 63) with 4.4 seconds remaining in the 4th quarter, a very clear body contact from behind was made by a Tunisian player but it wasn’t called a foul. SGA had no other options but to foul with 3.2 seconds remaining. They lost with a final score of 68 – 63. The game had a lot of non-called fouls towards the Philippines that the Strong Group Athletic Facebook Page made a 3-minute video out of it.
Here’s the link:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1526423171356312
And here’s the no call foul on Rhenz Abando:
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1317207329731187
It was penultimately decided that the Strong Group Athletics would withdraw from the Bronze Medal match as based on their Press Release they mentioned that “As competitors, we respect the game and its governing principles. However, fairness and accountability are fundamental in maintaining the integrity of international basketball. Our decision not to play in the third-place match is not just about one game—it is about advocating for officiating that upholds the spirit of sportsmanship and ensures that all teams are given a fair chance to compete.”
Full Press Release Statement:
SGA’s campaign was truly unforgettable. They battled with integrity throughout 5 games but in their Semis, they were treated unfairly. Withdrawing from the Bronze match only shows that the team wasn’t just after winning the championship but also respecting the game at its purest form.
A Mini Tournament of Our Own (?)
Days after the Dubai Tournament, sports insider Snow Badua posted on his Facebook Page stating that his connection aka kuliglig at the SGA team “whispered” to him that “Strong Group Athletics, one of the biggest sports supporters in the country, is contemplating on creating an annual big time INTERNATIONAL BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT in the Philippines like the DUBAI INVITATIONAL. The idea is to introduce a week-long invitational that will feature some of the best teams in Asia including from the Middle East, Europe, and Africa.”
Could this idea turn into a reality? Only time can tell. But one thing is for sure, this pocket tournament is for sure exciting to watch.
Snow Badua’s Post:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1152647722886758&set=pb.100044246238454.-2207520000&type=3
