Strong Group-Pilipinas routs ROC White, moves one win away from Jones Cup title

Strong Group-Pilipinas continued their dominant performance in the 2024 William Jones Cup, extending their undefeated record to 7-0 with a resounding 96-70 victory over Chinese Taipei-White in Taiwan.

Chris McCullough led the charge with 25 points, showcasing his prowess at the free-throw line. Veteran guard Kiefer Ravena provided a spark off the bench with 14 points, while rookie guard RJ Abarrientos impressed with 13 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds.

Despite missing key players like Ange Kouame, Tajuan Agee, and Rhenz Abando, Strong Group displayed their depth and talent from the opening tip-off.

The team set the tone early with a 20-5 run and never looked back, building a substantial lead that reached 31 points at one stage. DJ Fenner contributed 12 points and 5 rebounds, Jordan Heading added 11 points, and Geo Chiu chipped in with 6 points and 10 boards.

Chinese Taipei-White simply couldn’t keep up with Strong Group’s relentless attack, as Chang Chia He and Lin Yan Ting tried to lead their team with 16 and 12 points respectively.

However, the balanced scoring and strong defensive effort from Strong Group proved too much to overcome for the Taiwanese squad.

Next up, Strong Group will face Chinese Taipei-Blue in the highly anticipated gold-medal match, where they will look to cap off their impressive run in the tournament.

The scores:

Strong Group-Pilipinas 96 – McCullough 25, Ravena 14, Abarrientos 13, Fenner 12, Heading 11, Chiu 6, Ynot 6, Manalili 4, Ildefonso 3, Liwag 2.

Chinese Taipei-White 70 – Chang 16, Lin 12, Mbaye 8, Kuan 8, Chen Y. 8, Chen L. 6, Yu A. 4, Wu 3, Hu 2, Yu F. 2, Chiang 1, Wang 0.

Quarterscores: 30-15, 57-31, 80-54, 96-70.