STRONG Group Athletics (SGA) secured its third consecutive victory, dismantling a Japan selection, 107-86, in their 2026 William Jones Cup clash on Tuesday.
Despite a shaky start that saw them trail 31-28 at the end of the opening period, coach Charles Tiu's wards overwhelmed the Japanese squad with a brutal 33-14 onslaught in the second period to establish a 61-45 halftime lead.
“We obviously had a slow start, but I am glad we finally found our rhythm and completely turned things around with that second-quarter burst,” Tiu said.
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The Philippine rep sustained the defensive intensity in the third quarter, outscoring Japan 26-15 to build an insurmountable 87-60 advantage before padding the lead to as high as 31 points behind a run of 17 unanswered points.
Towering NBA veteran Boban Marjanovic controlled the paint with eight rebounds and two blocks, creating massive interior matchup problems for a Japan side made up of national team mainstays and B.League players.
SGA’s offensive execution was humming, connecting on 55.9 percent (38-of-68) of their shots including an elite 64.1 percent (25-of-39) from inside the arc.
The Philippine side hit 13 of 29 attempts from beyond the arc for a 44.8 percent clip. SGA also dominated the battle on the glass, pulling down 41 total rebounds compared to Japan's 34.
Japan attempted a final push in the fourth quarter with a 26-20 closing run, but Titing Manalili took charge to thwart any comeback hopes. The dynamic Letran guard finished with nine points, three assists, and a rebound.
Isaiah Pineiro led the offensive barrage with a game-high 25 points on a blistering 10-of-14 shooting, alongside five rebounds.
Tajuan Agee provided a massive spark off the bench with 15 points, five rebounds, four assists, two steals, and two blocks, finishing with a team-best plus-33 efficiency.
Remy Martin delivered 13 points and five boards, while DJ Fenner and Ian Miller chipped in 12 points apiece. Matthew Wright also scored in double figures, tallying 10 points on 2-of-4 shooting from deep.
“I am thrilled that Titing stepped up and proved exactly what he can do on this stage,” Tiu said.
“That is what this entire SGA program is built for — exposing homegrown talent to elite international competition with the ultimate goal of contributing to the national team's cause in the future,” he said of this program bankrolled by businessman/sportsman Frank Lao.
The emphatic 21-point victory gives the SGA side all the momentum it needs when it aims to settle a score against opening-game tormentor, Wonju DB Promy, of South Korea.
To raise its chances of securing the top seed, the Philippines must wipe out the South Koreans' tiebreak edge from a 110-79 win over SGA.
The scores:
PHILIPPINES SGA 107 — Pineiro 25, Agee 15, Martin 13, Fenner Jr. 12, Miller 12, Wright 10, Manalili 9, Marjanovic 7, Navarro 4, Dave Ildefonso 0, Diouf 0, Shaun Ildefonso 0.
JAPAN 86 — Wakugawa 26, Arai 17, Ozawa 10, Matsumoto 9, Nakamura 7, Tanaka 5, Buto 5, Hiraiwa 4, Igwe 2, Sakai 1, Hirose 0, Kon 0.
Quarterscores: 28-31, 61-45, 87-60, 107-86.
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