Strong Group guard Jason Brickman was held scoreless against Japan and will target a bounce-back against Qatar in the William Jones Cup.
Jason Brickman looks to get back on track as Strong Group-Philippines guns for a third straight win in the 2025 William Jones Cup when they face Qatar on Monday, July 15, at 5 p.m. at the Xinzhuang Sports Center in New Taipei City.
Coming off a gritty 74-66 victory over Japan’s developmental team that pushed their record to 2-0, the defending champions now set their sights on Qatar, which slipped to 1-2 after a close 82-77 loss to Australia.
Brickman was held scoreless against Japan but remains a steady hand at the point for coach Charles Tiu’s squad.
His expected bounce-back performance will be a factor as Strong Group aims to maintain its perfect record in the tournament.
Andre Roberson continues to anchor the Filipinos with his consistent two-way play, while locals Rhenz Abando, Javi Gomez de Liaño, and Allen Liwag have provided timely contributions on both ends.
Strong Group also awaits the return of Kiefer Ravena, who is expected to rejoin the squad soon and add another layer of leadership and shot creation.
On the other side, Qatar will be hungry to respond after falling short against the Australians.
Serbian-Qatari swingman Dejan Janjic, who poured in 21 points in the loss, remains the biggest threat for Strong Group to contain.
As the tournament heats up, a win for Strong Group not only strengthens its title defense but also builds momentum ahead of tougher assignments later in the week.
(With reports from Luisa Morales)
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[Editor's note: This article was written by a member of the One Sports Digital with the help of AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]