By MARK REY MONTEJO
Strong Group Athletics banked on its third-quarter explosion and notched a come-from-behind 67-56 win over Taipei Blue to begin its back-to-back bid on a high note in the 44th William Jones Cup at the Taipei Heping Basketball Gymnasium in Taiwan Sunday, July 13.
Despite being down to a 0-10 deficit and going scoreless for six and a half minutes, SGA made sure to secure a fitting start to its title defense by mounting a 26-2 resurgence for a 54-37 lead in the third frame that proved too much for the home team to overcome.
Kiefer Ravena’s absence was hardly felt as SGA posted its ninth straight in the meet following its 8-0 sweep last year.
Mighty Sports of Caesar Wongchuking also ruled the event in 2019 also via a sweep.
Up next for the Charles Tiu-guided crew is Japan U25 team Monday, July 14, at the same arena.
Andre Roberson proved to be a force to reckon with after finishing with 17 points – including his and-1 play in the third canto that gave SGA its first lead in the contest – along with 19 rebounds, and five steals.
Aside from Roberson, Rhenz Abando brought delight to the Filipino fans inside the venue, especially when he delivered back-to-back jams.
DJ Fenner and Andre Miller also impressed as they ignited SGA runs in the first part of the game as well Dave Ildefonso, Javi Gomez de Liaño, and Tajuan Agee.
