History was made in bold fashion as Strong Group Athletics etched its name in the record books, becoming the first Philippine team in the 44-year history of the William Jones Cup to win back-to-back championships.
Powered by a dominant performance from Andre Roberson, Strong Group clinched the 44th William Jones Cup crown with an emphatic 92–68 victory over Bahrain on Saturday afternoon at the Xinzhuang Gymnasium in New Taipei City.
Roberson led the charge with a stellar double-double of 25 points and 14 rebounds, steering SGA to an unblemished 7-0 record in the week-long midyear invitational tournament.
The triumph marked the Philippines’ eighth overall title in the Jones Cup, following victories by Northern Cement (1982), San Miguel (1985), the Centennial Team (1998), Gilas Pilipinas (2012), Mighty Sports (2016, 2019), and Strong Group’s first win in 2024.
But this year’s conquest stands above the rest.
What sets this championship apart is SGA’s historic title repeat — an unprecedented feat among previous Filipino champions in the tournament.
With a superior win-loss card and an earlier win over Chinese Taipei A, the Charles Tiu-mentored squad clinched the championship outright even before its final game against the United Arab Emirates on Sunday.
“Feels great to win again. We prepared hard for this tournament. Our players played hard all throughout — from the locals to the imports. I tip my hat off to them. Great group of guys,” said Coach Tiu. “Hoping we can finish it off with a sweep even with the championship in tow.”
The final was no mere formality.
After Bahrain trimmed the lead to just five, 68–63, midway through the third quarter behind key baskets from Abdulqader Mohamed and Ali Rashed, Strong Group countered with a momentum-shifting 7-1 run.
Kiefer Ravena sparked the rally with a layup, followed by a five-point burst from Javi Gomez de Liaño to restore a double-digit cushion, 75–64, heading into the fourth.
That surge carried into the final period, where SGA unleashed a blistering 14-0 run, capped by a six-point flurry from Roberson and a dagger triple by Gomez de Liaño, to bury Bahrain in an insurmountable 89–64 hole.
SGA’s dominance was most evident in the fourth quarter.
The team shot a red-hot 5-of-7 from the field for 17 points, while locking down Bahrain to just four points on a dismal 2-of-10 clip. The Filipinos also asserted their superiority on the boards, outrebounding the Gulf side, 45–24.
Tajuan Agee chipped in 19 points on 6-of-13 shooting, along with eight rebounds, two assists, and one steal.
Gomez de Liaño continued his efficient run with 12 points on 3-of-5 from long range, adding seven rebounds and two steals. Rhenz Abando provided a spark off the bench with 11 points in just 13 minutes of action.
Ian Miller nearly posted a double-double with nine points and eight assists, while also grabbing four rebounds.
Dave Ildefonso contributed across the board with eight points, six boards, two assists, and two steals, while Ravena finished with six points and two steals.
Tiu made sure to give credit where it was due.
“I really want to give credit to our bosses — Boss Frank and Jacob Lao — for allowing us to run it back again and for the trust they gave us to form and build this team,” said Tiu. “It’s rare to get to work for bosses like them.”
Despite missing former PBA import Wayne Chism and ex-NBA forward JaKarr Sampson, Bahrain finished the tournament with a respectable 6-2 record — its only losses coming against last year’s finalists, SGA and Chinese Taipei A.
Subah Azzam led Bahrain with 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting, alongside four assists and three rebounds. Mohamed added 12 points and three boards, while Mohamed Hamoda and Ahmed Haji chipped in 10 points apiece.
SGA will look to end its flawless campaign with a sweep on Sunday against the UAE, but the mission has already been accomplished.
