Latest news with #Tiu
GMA Network
13-07-2025
- Sport
- GMA Network
Strong Group bucks slow start to beat Chinese Taipei Blue in Jones Cup opener
Strong Group-Philippines overcame a sluggish start to pull off a 67-56 stunner against home team Chinese Taipei Blue and kick off its title defense in the William Jones Cup on the right note on Sunday in Taiwan. The Philippine representative leaned on a third quarter eruption where they dropped 26 points while limiting the opposing foes to just two, opening its campaign with a 1-0 start while the host fell to a 0-1 card. Andre Roberson led the charge with a double-double outing of 17 points, including an eight-point explosion in the third period, and 19 rebounds while also listing five steals to lead the comeback win. Ian Miller made his presence felt with 16 points, three assists, and two rebounds while Rhenz Abando led the local support with 11 markers, three dimes, two boards, two steals, and two blocks. 'This is what veterans are supposed to do,' said Strong Group head coach Charles Tiu. 'We had a rough start, yes, but the guys didn't panic. They responded like professionals. Still, we can't afford to relax moving forward.' Tiu and Strong Group will look to build on this momentum when they take on Japan Developmental Team on Monday at 5:00 p.m., still at the Xinzhuang Gymnasium. 'We'll enjoy this win for a few hours but then it's back to business. There's still a long way to go in this tournament," Tiu added. —JMB, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
10-07-2025
- Sport
- GMA Network
Chemistry among considerations in Strong Group's back-to-back title bid in Jones Cup
Minor tweaks were made in Strong Group Athletics' lineup for the Jones Cup but for head coach Charles Tiu, chemistry is among the factors considered as they aim to bring home the title anew. Kiefer Ravena and Rhenz Abando will return for Strong Group's back-to-back bid alongside Jason Brickman, Dave Ildefonso, Ange Kouame, Geo Chiu, and Allen Liwag. DJ Fenner, Tajuan Agee, and Andre Roberson will also join Tiu's squad. Ian Miller and Javi Gomez de Liaño, meanwhile, will be the new ones in the team. "We try to keep the guys intact as much as possible. I think only si Ian Miller's the guy who I just met for the first time, but I think, just getting them reps, getting them in a system in eight practices is not exactly easy that's why we have to keep things as simple as possible para [they] don't get confused. I think that's the key," Tiu said during Strong Group's practice on Wednesday at the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde gym. Miller is coming off an impressive campaign in the BCL Asia tournament with Mongolian club Ulaanbaatar Xac Broncos where he was named MVP of the East Asia Division with averages of 17.9 points on 44.1% shooting, alongside 2.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists. Gomez de Liaño, meanwhile, posted 8.4 points and 2.7 rebounds per game in his debut with Anyang JKJ in the KBL. Strong Group's campaign in the Jones Cup will commence on July 13. —JMB, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
28-06-2025
- Sport
- GMA Network
Kiefer Ravena, Rhenz Abando lead Strong Group Athletics in Jones Cup title defense
Mainstays Kiefer Ravena and Rhenz Abando will spearhead the Strong Group Athletics when they defend the title in the 2025 William Jones Cup that fires off next month. Ravena and Abando will be returning for another tour of duty for the Philippine representatives alongside Jason Brickman, Dave Ildefonso, Ange Kouame, Geo Chiu, and reigning NCAA MVP Allen Liwag. Reinforcing the squad are 6-foot-6 guard DJ Fenner, 6-foot-9 big man Tajuan Agee, and NBA veteran Andre Roberson with longtime coach Charles Tiu still calling the shots. 'Yeah, I'm excited to bring back some guys from our championship squad. This might be the first time we're able to run it back with this many returning players,' said Tiu. SGA, however, will open its campaign without Ravena, who is expected to miss the first two games against Chinese-Taipei Blue on July 13 and the Japan Under-25 Akatsuki Five squad on July 14 due to prior commitments. Despite that, SGA is focused on defending the crown they won last year by defeating Chinese Taipei A in a classic overtime showdown that saw the Filipinos eking out an 83-79 victory. 'The big challenge is that we'll be facing Taipei A in our very first game, and we haven't played any tune-up games yet. We'll have to see how quickly the team can gel. Kiefer will also miss a couple of games, but we're definitely looking to defend our crown,' added Tiu. —JKC, GMA Integrated News
