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HIGH-FIVE. Rhenz Abando and Tajuan Agee celebrate during the Strong Group Athletics-Philippines' game against Chinese Taipei-Blue in the 2025 Jone Cup.
STRONG GROUP ATHLETICS
Strong Group Athletics-Philippines rides on a massive third-quarter surge to complete the come-from-behind win against Chinese Taipei-Blue in its 2025 William Jones Cup opener
MANILA, Philippines – Looking to go back-to-back, Strong Group Athletics-Philippines passed its first test with flying colors in the 2025 William Jones Cup.
Pitted right away against last year’s virtual gold-medal match opponent Chinese Taipei-Blue in an all-important opening-day matchup, Strong Group completed a gutsy 67-56 come-from-behind win at the Xinzhuang Gymnasium in Taiwan on Sunday, July 13.
Strong Group trailed by as many as 14 points early in the contest, before riding a massive third-quarter surge, where it turned a 28-35 halftime deficit into a 54-37 lead heading into the final frame.
Former NBA defensive specialist Andre Roberson spearheaded the Philippines’ 21-0 run in the third as he scored 8 of his game-high 17 points, including the tip-in that tied the game at 35-all and the go-ahead and-one play at the 5:19 mark that gave Strong Group its first lead of the game, 38-35.
Rhenz Abando also put on a show for Strong Group in the third period as he delivered back-to-back, two-handed fastbreak dunks to put the Philippines ahead by double figures, 45-35, with 3:17 to play in the quarter.
It was all Strong Group from that point on as it never allowed the hosts to get back within striking distance until the final buzzer.
“This is what veterans are supposed to do,” said Strong Group head coach Charles Tiu.
“We had a rough start, yes, but the guys didn’t panic. They responded like professionals. Still, we can’t afford to relax moving forward,” he added.
Aside from his 17 markers, Roberson also tallied 19 rebounds and 5 steals for the Philippines.
“He was incredible,” said Tiu of Roberson.
“His energy really lifted the whole team in that third quarter. We were flying around, rotating on defense, just doing everything right. That’s the kind of effort we need every single game.”
Roberson’s fellow Strong Group import Ian Miller added 16 points, while Abando racked up an all-around line of 11 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks.
On the other side, Chen Yingjun topscored for Chinese Taipei-Blue in the losing effort with 14 points.
Strong Group goes for a 2-0 start in the single round-robin tournament when it battles Japan Developmental Team on Monday, July 14 at 5 pm. – Rappler.com
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