By MARK REY MONTEJO
It was understandable why coach Charles Tiu and Strong Group Athletics were still disappointed despite their vengeful 26-point rout of a South Korean club.
It was the format.
The SGA dribblers fell short to hurdle the 32-point mark as they only carved out a 113-87 win against the Ethan Alvano-led Korea to put their three-peat bid in jeopardy in the 2026 William Jones Cup at Xinzhuang Gymnasium in New Taipei City Wednesday, Aug. 19.
ntering the match with three straight wins, SGA took care of business from the get-go, turning a tight first frame into a commanding 51-35 advantage at the half sparked by Matthew Wright.
From there, the Philippine-based crew tried to carry the momentum and reach a 32-point advantage but unfortunately fell short in the end.
Tiu admitted that it was just a painful result despite giving their best efforts for the game.
“This one really hurts. It’s rare to win a game and still feel disappointed. We were so 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 Tiu.
“I can’t sing enough praises for our team and the way we fought in this game. We played some really good basketball.”
The Phoenix and CSB head coach also expressed his dismay, particularly over the format, which even Korean coach Lee Kyu Seop admitted he was unhappy with and called it a “bad format.”
“Even the Korean coach (Lee Kyu-seop) was complaining about how bad the format of the tournament is,” Tiu continued. “If only we knew from the start that this was the format, then for sure things would have been different.”
Even though SGA won and tied with South Korea, represented by Wonju DB Promy, with a 4-1 card, it is still in danger of qualifying for the semis as Chinese Taipei Blue (1-3) regardless of the result of its final game, takes an incentive being the host.
The target margin came after the three-peat-chasing SGA yielded a 79-110 loss to Korea in the opener.
However, SGA has the chance to earn a semis berth if winless Japan (0-4) upsets Korea this Thursday, Aug. 20, at the same venue, just as the Filipino bets battle Taipei Blue.
If Korea topples Japan, SGA’s victory over Taipei Blue would be wasted.
Wright took charge this time for SGA after listing 24 points, three rebounds, and five assists. Tajuan Agee had 22 points, 14 rebounds, two assists, three blocks, and two steals. Ian Miller and DJ Fenner also shone offensively with 19 and 16 points, respectively, while Remy Martin and Boban Marjanovic combined for 22 points. Puerto Rican Isaiah Piñeiro, who topscored in their last five games, had a quiet eight points.
Filipino-American Alvano erupted with 37 points on top of five rebounds, and seven assists in a losing cause. Kang Sangjae and Lee Yujin added 19 and 11 points for South Korea.
