STRONG Group Athletics-Pilipinas kept its slim semifinal hopes alive after overpowering South Korea’s Wonju DB Promy, 113-87, on Wednesday in the 2026 William Jones Cup at the Xinzhuang Gymnasium in New Taipei City, Taiwan.
The Charles Tiu-mentored Strong Group bounced back from its earlier 31-point defeat to Wonju, 110-79, in the first round with a dominant 26-point victory in their second meeting.
The Philippine side made their presence felt early as they took a 26-17 lead after the opening quarter, before continuing their hot offense for a 51-35 advantage at the half.
The two-time defending champions SGA-Pilipinas continued to pull away in the third quarter before exploding for 39 points in the final frame.
Matthew Wright led Strong Group with 24 points, Tajuan Agee added 22, Ian Bennett Miller contributed 19 points, Derrick Steven Fenner Jr. had 16, Remy Martin scored 12 and Boban Marjanovic finished with 10.
Strong Group shot 56.8 percent from two-point range and 56.3 percent from beyond the arc, while also converting 17 of 24 free throws.
Wonju was led by Filipino-American import Ethan Alvano, who erupted for 37 points, while Sangjae Kang added 19 and Rayshoun Hammonds finished with nine.
Despite the convincing win, Strong Group remains in a difficult position in the race for the semifinals because of the tournament’s unusual format.
Chinese Taipei Blue is guaranteed an automatic semifinal berth regardless of its finish in Group A. The only remaining semifinal slot from Group A will go to the best-performing team among Strong Group, Wonju DB Promy and Japan.
Strong Group’s 26-point victory over Wonju was not enough to erase the damage from its previous 31-point loss, leaving the Korean side with a five-point advantage in the aggregate scoring margin between the two teams.
For the SGA-Pilipinas to progress to the semis, they must beat Chinese Taipei Blue in its final Group A game on Thursday and hope that Wonju DB Promy loses to Japan, which remains winless in the group. (Adrian Co)
