Manila, Philippines – The Strong Group Athletics (SGA) now has a commanding 3-0 after they beat Qatar with the scores of 81-54, July 15, 2025.
The Philippine national team went strong throughout the game — scoring on bunches and defensive stops to prevent the opposing team from gaining momentum.
DJ Fenner had his moments in the first half — he dropped an impressive 16 points in only two quarters; while Javi Gomez de Liano had his own in the second half, who scored 13 of his 18 points.
With the duo dominating, Qatar literally had no answers for them, making it seem that their gameplay is unstoppable.
Andre Roberson, who was a former NBA player and a reliable two-way player in the league, filled up the statsheet with seven points, 10 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks.
Ian Miller dropped 10 points with nine boards as well.
Head coach Charles Tiu worries about the back-to-back-to-back games, resulting in the players of the team being overfatigued and can lead to injuries.
“We’re banged up right now,” said Charles Tiu.
“Tajuan [Agee] is hurting, [Andre] Roberson’s knee is swollen, Ian [Miller]’s plantar is bothering him, and Rhenz [Abando]’s hamstring might keep him out for the Australia game. Even Dave [Ildefonso] and Geo [Chiu] are fighting off illness. Jason [Brickman] is very fatigued as well.” he added.
Despite that, the Philippine team is on a three-game winning streak, and yet to show vulnerabilities inside the court.
SGA is going to compete against Australia on Wednesday, July 16, in Taiwan. —Kyle Basa, Contributor