MANILA – Strong Group-Philippines defeated United Arab Emirates, 87-62, Sunday, wrapping up the William Jones Cup campaign, with an 8-0 record, at the Xinzhuang Gymnasium in New Taipei City, Taiwan.

Tanjuan Agee finished with 20 points, five rebounds and four assists, while Kiefer Ravena chipped in 13 points, including three triples, to go with nine assists.

DJ Fenner and Ian Miller scored 12 points each, with Dave Ildefonso contributing 10.

The win sealed a historic feat, making Strong Group the first Philippine team to win back-to-back titles in the tournament’s 44-year history.

The Philippines now boasts eight Jones Cup titles, joining previous champions Northern Cement (1982), San Miguel (1985), the Centennial Team (1998), Gilas Pilipinas (2012), Mighty Sports (2016, 2019), and Strong Group (2024).

Coach Charles Tiu praised the team’s chemistry and dedication.

“We are happy to win a championship again. We never take anything for granted. Our bosses go all out every time to win and to support our teams whenever we represent the country," he said.

The Filipinos extended their unbeaten run to 16 games across the 2024 and 2025 editions. This year, they beat Chinese-Taipei Blue (67-56), Japan Developmental (79-67), Qatar (81-54), Australia’s NBL1 Rising Stars (91-75), Chinese-Taipei White (107-75), Malaysia (106-98), and Bahrain (92-68).

Other members of the champion squad are Jason Brickman, Geo Chiu, Javi Gomez de Liaño, Rhenz Abando, Angelo Kouame and former NBA standout Anthony Roberson.

“It’s special, especially because I don’t know if we will be able to have this group again. DJ and Brickman are probably joining the draft, Javi and Rhenz will probably have different teams already, and we don’t know where our other guys will be next year," Tiu shared.

He also hinted at organizing a Manila-based international invitational to build on their momentum. (PNA)