Strong Group Athletics secured top seed in Group A of the 34th Dubai International Basketball Championship after a commanding 85-78 victory over erstwhile-unbeaten Beirut First, Tuesday morning (Manila time) at Al Nasr Club.
The win propelled the Athletics to a perfect 3-0 record, with Jordan’s Amman United standing as their final hurdle for a group stage sweep. The decisive game is set for Thursday morning (Manila time) at 1:00 AM.
“Of course, we’re happy with the win, but we’ve been in this position before. We have to stay focused because we haven’t achieved our ultimate goal yet,” said Strong Group head coach Tiu.
Four-time NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins delivered a stellar performance, leading the charge with 26 points, including four three-pointers, and grabbing 12 rebounds.
Cousins teamed up with the Ateneo tandem of Dave Ildefonso and Angelo Kouame to dominate the second quarter.
The trio combined for 22 of Strong Group’s 34 points in the period, transforming a slim 15-13 lead into a comfortable 49-34 advantage at halftime.
Kouame, a naturalized Filipino, contributed 14 points and eight rebounds, while Ildefonso added 12 points on an efficient 5-of-6 shooting clip.
Strong Group maintained control throughout, extending its lead to as much as 21 points, 75-54, with 8:50 remaining in the contest.
Mikey Williams (eight points), Malachi Richardson (seven points), Andray Blatche (six points), and Chris McCullough (six points) also played their roles in holding off the reigning Lebanese champions.
Tiu noted the team’s growing synergy as they prepare for the playoffs.
“We’re starting to finally build the chemistry we need, and it’s happening at the right time as we head into the critical stages of the tournament,” he said.
For Beirut First, Sergio El Darwich led the effort with 26 points, while Mohamad Ali Haidar contributed 18.
Ali Mezher posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, but their efforts were not enough to overcome Strong Group’s firepower.
The Scores:
Strong Group 85 – Cousins 26, Kouame 14, Ildefonso 12, Williams 8, Richardson 7, Blatche 6, Abando 4, Brickman 2, Sanchez 0, Liwag 0.
Beirut First 78 – El Darwich 26, Haidar 18, Mezher 10, Ledo 7, Farmer 7, Kadji 5, Mahmoud 5, Khoury 0.
Quarterscores: 15-13, 49-34, 69-52, 85-78.
