Strong Group improves to 3-0, secures top 2 finish in Dubai hoops

Sports

STRONG Group Athletics (SGA) lived up to its lofty pre-tournament billing as it stayed unbeaten with an 85-78 win over erstwhile unbeaten Beirut First in the 34th Dubai International Basketball Championship on Tuesday morning (Philippine time), January 28, at the Al Nasr Club in Dubai.

The win hiked SGA's record to 3-0 (win-loss), assuring them of a top 2 finish in Group A.

SGA will go for a group-stage sweep when it faces Jordan’s Amman United at 1 a.m. on Thursday, January 30.

Turning in a stellar performance for SGA against Beirut First was four-time NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins, who finished with 26 points, anchored on four three-pointers, and 12 rebounds.

Cousins joined forces with Dave Ildefonso and Angelo Kouame in a telling SGA run in the second quarter, where the trio connived for 22 of the team's output, allowing the Charles Tiu-coached team to turn a slim 15-13 cushion into a fat 49-34 lead at the bend.

SGA led by as many as 21 points in the final half en route to securing the impressive win.

Kouame, a naturalized Filipino, finished with 14 points and eight rebounds, while Ildefonso wound up with 12 points on a hot 5-of-6 shooting from the field.

The Lebanese champion team was led by Sergio El Darwich, who scattered 26 points. Mohamad Ali Haidar scored points while Ali Mezher piled up 10 points and 10 rebounds.

THE SCORES:

SGA (85)- Cousins 26, Kouame 14, Ildefonso 12, Williams 8, Richardson 7, Blatche 6, Abando 4, Brickman 2, Sanchez 0, Liwag 0.

BEIRUT FIRST (78)- El Darwich 26, Haidar 18, Mezher 10, Ledo 7, Farmer 7, Kadji 5, Mahmoud 5, Khoury 0.

QUARTERSCORES 15-13, 49-34, 69-52, 85-78.(CCM)