Strong Group dug deep and leaned on a second-half surge from Andre Roberson and DJ Fenner to turn back the Japan Developmental Team, 79-67, in the 44th William Jones Cup on Monday at the Xinzhuang Gymnasium.
Japan opened the third quarter with back-to-back three-pointers to tie the game at 39, but Roberson and Fenner quickly wrested control back, sparking a 31-14 run that spilled into the fourth period.
The breakout gave SGA a 70-53 cushion with 6:25 remaining — a lead the Japan under-25 squad could no longer overcome.
“Ugly game for us,” admitted head coach Charles Tiu. “The guys were beat up from yesterday’s match — we were really spent. Japan put a lot of pressure on us, and it was tough with just Jason (Brickman) and Ian (Miller) as our primary ball handlers.”
Despite fatigue and a shorthanded lineup, Strong Group once again relied on its defensive identity, holding Japan to just 28 second-half points.
“Our offense still isn’t too fluid, but again, credit to the guys for their defense,” added Tiu. “We had five players in double digits, which is big for us. Our locals — (DJ) Fenner, Javi (Gomez de Liano), and Rhenz (Abando) — were huge.”
Roberson, a former Oklahoma City Thunder defensive ace in the NBA, delivered a standout performance with 15 points, 14 rebounds, and five blocks.
Fenner, the Filipino-American swingman, added 14 points and eight rebounds, while Javi Gomez de Liaño provided efficient scoring with 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the floor.
Rhenz Abando also delivered an all-around game with 11 points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block.
Tajuan Agee added 10 markers before suffering an injury that may sideline him for upcoming games.
“Agee got hurt and might miss a few games, so we’ll be short a man,” said Tiu. “Hopefully, (Angelo) Kouame will be ready for tomorrow’s game.”
Strong Group improved to 2-0 in the tournament and will face Qatar on Tuesday at 5:00 PM.
Kiefer Ravena remains unavailable as he is still in transit from Greece, but he is expected to join the team by Wednesday. SGA will take on the NBL1 Rising Stars of Australia — a squad that features former UP Fighting Maroon James Spencer.
“Kiefer will be out for one more day, so we just have to weather the storm,” Tiu said.
Hiyuu Ozawa led Japan with 21 points, including four three-pointers, while Kotetsu Kurokawa added 13 points and six rebounds.
Japan dropped to 1-2 in the standings.
