STRONG SHOWING

Strong Group Athletics went wild with 17 three-pointers as the team torched Al Wahda-Syria, 89-67, for its second straight win in the 33rd Dubai International Basketball Championship at the Al-Nasr Club in Dubai Saturday.

De La Salle University stars Kevin Quiambao and Francis Escandor, who scored 24 and 18 points, respectively, combined for 11 of the team's 17 triples as Strong Group took the top spot of Group B with Libya's Al Ahli Tripoli with identical 2-0 win-loss cards.

Escandor and former TNT Tropang Giga import McKenzie Moore teamed up for an 11-0 run in the second quarter for a 34-18 lead with six minutes and 30 seconds remaining.

A jumper from Quiambao, the University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 86 Most Valuable Player, in the 4:43 mark of the fourth quarter gave Strong Group its biggest lead at 27 points, 82-55.

The Filipino ballclub was efficient on the court with a 51 percent shooting clip while also dominating the rebounding department, 46-31.

Strong Group got a lot of help from the bench with 41 points compared to Al Wahda-Syria's 21.

Former Gilas Pilipinas player Andray Blatche bounced back from his scoreless performance against the United Arab Emirates national team as he and Jordan Heading dropped 12 points each.

Moore scored eight points while National Basketball Association champion Dwight Howard was limited to five points but grabbed 10 rebounds and got four blocks.

Myron Jordan led Al Wahda-Syria with 19 points as the team absorbed its first loss of the tournament.

As of press time, Strong Group is playing against Lebanon's Homenetmen Beirut.

Homenetmen lost to Al Ahli, 71-93, last Saturday and hopes to get a win at the expense of the surging entry from the Philippines.

Strong Group wants to do better this time around after a quarterfinal exit last year following a loss to Lebanese team Al Riyadi Club Beirut.