THE two-time defending champion Strong Group Athletics (SGA)-Pilipinas failed to advance to the semifinals despite having the second-best record in Group B, due to the unlikely format in this year’s Jones Cup.
SGA-Pilipinas ended the tournament in second place in Group B with a 5-1 (win-loss) with Wonju DB Promy, which also has a 5-1 record but with an advantage in quotient over the former.
Under the regular tournament rules, SGA should have advanced with the Korean Basketball League club Wonju DB Promy in the knockout rounds as they topped Group B.
However, SGA won’t advance to the next round as the second slot is already guaranteed with the host team Chinese Taipei Blue, which finished the tournament with a 1-5 slate.
The Chinese Taipei Basketball Association explained that this format was implemented so local fans could watch their national team advance further in the tournament.
Strong Group was disappointed with the policy and vented their ire in their final game by crushing Taipei Blue by 43 points, 111-74, on Friday. / RSC
