Mighty needs two wins out of three to regain Jones Cup, but sweep will be sweet
Game Friday (Changhua County Gym in Changhua, Taiwan): 3 p.m. – Mighty Sports-PH vs Indonesia
AFTER a much-needed two-day rest, Mighty Sports-Go For Gold Philippines resumes its impressive run in the 2019 Jones Cup in Changhua, Taiwan with a game against Indonesia on Friday.
With a league-leading 5-0 record, the country’s representative to the annual tournament needs only to win two of three remaining matches to regain the title it won in its initial foray three years ago via a eight-game sweep.
Through the able leadership of the once volatile Renaldo Balkman and Eugene Phelps, Mighty-GFG has posted a whopping winning margin of 22.6 points – its 89-82 decision over World Cup-bound South Korea was the closest one so far.
The team’s 3 p.m. showdown with the Indons is another opportunity for coach Charles Tiu to give McKenzie Moore and Zach Graham more time to fully recover from mild injuries they suffered against the Japanese whom they bamboozled, 94-59.
The team also backed by HealthCube will also give the coaching of the PH team to the SEA Games a great service as it try to expose the strengths and weaknesses of the Indons who are preparing for the biennial meet.
Given Indonesia’s small lineup, Tiu is likely to use Balkman, Phelps, Moore and Graham sparingly with Fil-American players like Jason Brickman, Mikey Williams, and Jeremiah Gray likely to be given the chance to shine along with Aaron Black, Gab Banal, Angelo Wongchuking and former pro Joseph Yeo.
After Indonesia, Mighty-GFG will be going for the clincher on Saturday when it battles Taiwan-A before capping its campaign with a showdown with Taiwan B on Sunday.
“It would be nice if we reclaim the title via a sweep,” said team owner Alexander Wongchuking. “It’s sweeter the second time around.”
