DJ Fenner and Remy Martin finally found their groove as Strong Group overwhelmed host Chinese Taipei Blue, 97-78, on Sunday at Xinzhuang Gymnasium in New Taipei City to close the first round of the 2026 William Jones Cup on a high note.
Fenner, who struggled in the first two games, tallied 15 points, four rebounds, three steals, and two blocks, while Martin erupted for 13 points and seven assists after being held to three points against South Korea and shut out in the loss to Japan.
“Great team win for us. We’re slowly coming together. Remy played great, and Boban (Marjanovic) stepped up. It’s nice to see us playing this way. We’ll slowly get better game by game,” head coach Charles Tiu said.
Martin and Fenner were joined by Isaiah Pineiro and Tajuan Agee, who each scored 19 points to lead Strong Group to its second straight victory and a 2-1 record heading into the second round.
Agee also collected three rebounds, two steals, and a block, while Pineiro added five boards.
Seven-foot-four Serbian Marjanovic likewise delivered his best outing of the tournament so far, imposing his size inside for 14 points and 10 rebounds, along with three assists and a block.
Strong Group raced to a 20-10 lead in the opening quarter before Chinese Taipei Blue caught fire from beyond the arc. The hosts knocked down five triples in the second period to briefly move ahead, 30-29.
The defending two-time champions responded by turning up the tempo and attacking the open floor, closing the half on a strong run to regain control and take a 52-40 lead into the break.
The Philippine side continued to dictate the pace after halftime, stretching the margin to 77-60 by the end of the third quarter before cruising through the final frame.
Kuo Chunyen paced Chinese Taipei Blue with 14 points, eight rebounds, and three blocks, while Chou Kueiyu and Jonah Morrison added 12 points each.
Strong Group now opens the second round against Japan on Tuesday at 3 p.m., looking to repeat its first-round success against the Japanese side after taking a 78-72 victory in their opening-round encounter.
With the tournament entering its second phase, Tiu identified perimeter defense and team chemistry as the priorities moving forward.
“We definitely need to defend the three-point line better. That will be key. But it will be about us and building our chemistry,” Tiu said.
The Scores:
Strong Group 97 – Pineiro 19, Agee 19, Fenner 15, Marjanovic 14, Martin 13, Navarro 7, Ildefonso D. 4, Wright 4, Diouf 2, Manalili 0, Miller 0, Ildefonso S. 0.
Chinese-Taipei Blue 78 – Kuo 14, Chou 12, Morrison 12, Sung 10, Manu 8, Lan 6, Wu 6, Chen 5, Xie 3, Gilbeck 2, Li 0.
Quarterscores: 20-15, 52-40, 77-60, 97-78.
