Strong Group crushes Australia’s BSBL for second win in Jones Cup

Strong Group-Pilipinas continued its impressive start in the 43rd William Jones Cup, defeating the Brisbane South Basketball League (BSBL) Guardians 91-67 for its second win on Sunday at Xinzhuang Gymnasium in New Taipei City. The imports shone in the victory, with McCullough Chris (208-F-1995, college: Syracuse) scoring 23 points and grabbing seven rebounds, while Tajuan Agee tallied 14 points, four rebounds, and two steals in just 14 minutes. Strong Group, which defeated UAE 104-79 on opening day, dominated the opening quarter with a 34-10 run, setting the stage for a wire-to-wire win. Starting for the Athletics were McCullough, Angelo Kouame, and the team’s three PBA prospects: Ildefonso Dave (183-F-2000), RJ Abarrientos, and Tiongson Caelan (196-G/F-1992, college: Biola, CA). Ildefonso scored all seven of his points in the first half, Abarrientos contributed six points and three assists, and Tiongson grabbed 11 rebounds along with four points. Kouame also had a strong game with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Sitting out the game were Geo Chiu and Tony Ynot with Abando Rhenz (188-SG-1998) and Titing Manalili replacing them. Strong Group will face Ukraine on Monday before taking a one-day break. The Guardians, now 0-2, had four players in double figures, with Jesse Ghee (183-PG-1995, college: Fullerton JC) leading the way with 19 points and 10 rebounds.
Courtesy of: tiebreakertimes.com.ph