By Camille Villan
TAIPEI, Taiwan — Frank Lao chose restraint over confrontation after Strong Group Athletics-Pilipinas saw its quest for a third consecutive William Jones Cup title end under a tournament format that left the defending champions out of the semifinals despite a 5-1 record.
Rather than criticize the organizers, Lao simply accepted the outcome following SGA-Pilipinas’ 117-74 rout of Chinese Taipei Blue on Thursday.
The Filipinos had already done enough on the court to put themselves in a strong position, winning five of their six group-stage games. But their impressive record ultimately failed to translate into a semifinal berth.
Wonju DB Promy of South Korea secured the lone legitimate semifinal spot from Group A after defeating Japan, 75-64, earlier Thursday.
The victory gave Wonju DB Promy the necessary tiebreaker advantage over SGA-Pilipinas.
Chinese Taipei Blue also advanced to the semifinals by virtue of being the host team, regardless of its standing in the group.
The outcome effectively ended SGA-Pilipinas’ attempt to capture its third straight Jones Cup championship.
Lao was asked about the tournament setup but refused to turn the issue into a public dispute.
“Wala akong masasabi dyan,” Lao said.
He explained that he would simply follow advice from his mother: “Ang sa akin lang, susundin ko ang payo ng nanay ko, ‘wag mong kunin ang bagay na hindi talaga para sa ’yo!’”
On the court, meanwhile, SGA-Pilipinas made sure its final group game ended on a positive note.
The defending champions completely dominated Chinese Taipei Blue, opening a huge advantage and eventually going up by 49 points before finishing with the 117-74 victory.
SGA-Pilipinas may have been denied a semifinal spot, but it walked away from the group stage with a 5-1 record and a performance that showed why it remained one of the tournament’s strongest teams.