SGA Stays Unbeaten, Ends Beirut’s Winning Streak

STRONG Group Athletics (SGA) continues to outperform every opponent, going unbeaten and halting Beirut First’s winning streak 85-78 in the 34th Dubai International Basketball Championship. 

All is well for the Philippine-represent squad in Dubai, as they continue to maintain a 3-0 win-loss record, staying the only team in the tournament’s Group A that has yet to receive its first defeat.

A Scoring Burst

Strong Group was tied up with Beirut at the start of the game, and they ended the first quarter with a slim 15-13 lead. However, everything changed in the second quarter. 

Dave Ildefonso had a personal 9-point run, which along with DeMarcus Cousins and Ange Kouame’s powerful presence in the shaded area, allowed them to lead 49-34 at the end of the second quarter. 

Little has changed in the third quarter. The story concentrated around how the Frank Lao-owned team managed to maintain its lead and even increase it to 17 points at one point.

However, after leading by 21 points at the start of the fourth quarter thanks to a three-pointer from Mikey Williams, Beirut stormed back into the game, going on a 17-3 run to narrow the score to 71-78. 

This scoring explosion from the opposition team was accompanied by multiple foul calls on the part of Strong Group, but they managed to stay afloat and avoid a late-game scare from Beirut.

A Working Connection

Throughout the game, Cousins and Kouame have shown to be an overwhelming force on offense and defense, a working relationship that began on shaky ground in the Philippines. 

Before traveling to Dubai, the former Ateneo Blue Eagles star confessed how beneficial the training with the former NBA star was, despite a few occasions when their patience was tested.

“At the end of the day, he’s a competitive player and I’m competitive too. So it comes to that, where we try to go against each other,” the 6-foot-11 Kouame explained.

“It feels great because he’s a type of player with a lot of experience. So like you see during practice, I try to learn as much as I can from him, and I try to adjust my game too,” he added.

Cousins led the scoring with 26 points and 12 rebounds, including four three-pointers, coupled by Kouame’s scoring of 14 points while grabbing eight rebounds. 

Meanwhile, Ildefonso, who sparked the Philippine team’s massive second-quarter surge, finished with 12 points, six of which came from two three-pointers.