AFTER sitting out the past two games, Ange Kouame, Rhenz Abando, and Tajuan Agee will play for Strong Group Athletics-Pilipinas when it goes up against Chinese Taipei-A for the 43rd William Jones Cup title in New Taipei City on Sunday.
The Philippine representative said Kouame and Abando will play through their respective injuries, while Agee’s minutes will be restricted after his recent discharge from the hospital on Saturday.
“Rhenz’s hand is still swollen and the same goes for Ange’s knee, but they will play through it since this is an all-or-nothing game,” said SGA coach Charles Tiu. “They know how important this game is for the country.”
“We will be watching Agee’s minutes closely since he has been very dehydrated because of the gastro issues he suffered. His health is important, but his presence on the court is also crucial for us.”
Kouame was norming 11.0 points and 6.2 rebound, Abando’s play had been on the rise following a shaky start in contributing 6.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.2 steals, and Agee has all-around averages of 12.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.6 steals for SGA-Pilipinas.
Allen Liwag and Titing Manalili will be sitting out the game tipping off at 7 p.m.
SGA-Pilipinas shoots for perfect run
Both SGA-Pilipinas and Chinese Taipei-A have identical 7-0 win-loss records, with the winner of their face-off being crowned champion.
Naturalized big man Brandon Gilbeck and Hinton brothers Robert and Adam will be on the spotlight for Chinese Taipei-A.
“This is a revamped Chinese Taipei team compared to the past. They are younger and have more international experience. Hopefully, we give our A-game in this last game,” said Tiu.
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