STRONG Group Athletics (SGA) kept following the lead of Chris McCullough for another convincing victory in the 2025 Dubai International Championship, this time at the expense of Al Nasr SC, 99-87, late Saturday (Philippine time).
McCullough found no match from all over the court and wound up with 31 points, nine rebounds, and three assists, as the Philippines-based squad silenced the home team's crowd inside Al Nasr Club en route to a 2-0 start in the tourney.
Dave Ildefonso also delivered 13 points and five rebounds off the bench, while Mikey Williams found his shooting touch for 16 points built on four triples.
After seeing its once-27-point advantage get cut down to five, 77-72, with under eight minutes remaining, SGA scored 11 unanswered points to keep Al Nasr SC at bay for good.
Contrasting result for Valientes
Fate wasn't as kind to Zamboanga, as it found itself on the wrong end of a 97-82 rout by Al Shajrah Club.
The Valientes, making their tournament debut, actually got off to a strong start and was ahead, 30-15, nearing the end of the first quarter, but was unable to sustain its momentum.
The last time the Filipinos threatened was at 70-75 midway through the final frame only to see Al Hajrah go on a 16-0 tear to quell their uprising.
Zamboanga counted all of its starters in double-digits, led by Sam Deguara's 16-point, 11-rebound double-double, as guards Mike Tolomia and Forthsky Padrigao combined for 27 markers, eight assists, and six boards.
Up next for Strong Group and the Valientes are Beirut First and Al Ahli Tripoli, respectively, on Sunday evening (Philippine time).
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