Still perfect: Strong Group survives Ukraine scare for 3rd straight Jones Cup win

Big-time players make big-time plays. McCullough Chris (208-F-1995, college: Syracuse) and Kiefer Ravena (183-G-1993) came through the clutch for Strong Group-Pilipinas as they completed a gutsy 82-74 comeback win over Ukraine on Monday, July 15, to remain unscathed in the 2024 William Jones Cup at the Xinzhuang Gymnasium in Taiwan. With Ukraine threatening to pull away with a five-point lead with under three minutes left, 72-67, Ravena knocked down a cold-blooded pull-up triple to cut the deficit to just a single possession. After a crucial stop by Strong Group in the ensuing play, McCullough then took it upon himself and completed a tough and-one play to give the Filipinos the lead, 73-72. The former San Miguel super import McCullough did not stop there as he delivered another crucial basket, this time from long distance, to put Strong Group ahead by 4 points, 76-72, with just 1:05 to play. McCullough capped off his personal 8-0 run with two free throws to give Strong Group a 78-72 edge, before Jordan Heading (188-G-1996, college: CBU) and Ravena put Ukraine away for good with two foul shots each in the endgame. For the third straight contest, McCullough led Strong Group in scoring with a game-high 28 points to go with 6 rebounds and 2 assists. McCullough previously dropped 15 points in Strong Group’s 25-point opening-day thrashing of United Arab Emirates on Saturday, July 13, followed by a 23-point performance in their 91-69 beatdown of Australia’s BSBL Guardians on Sunday, July 14. Heading finished with 24 points on 4-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc, while Ravena had 10 markers – all coming in the final frame. A former Gilas Pilipinas gunner, Heading was unconscious in the opening period as he scored 18 of Strong Group’s 27 first-quarter points on a perfect 7-of-7 field goal clip. Anatoliy Shundel (192-SG-1993, agency: Octagon Europe) paced the feisty Ukrainians with 17 points, while Rostyslav Novitskyi (208-C-2000, college: Fordham) added 11 points. Ukraine wasted a nine-point cushion it built early in the third quarter, 52-43, after trailing by 2 points at halftime, 41-43. Strong Group gets a much-needed one-day break before it takes on Malaysia at 5 pm on Wednesday, July 17.
Courtesy of: rappler.com