Managing the minutes of every player will be the top priority for Strong Group Athletics (SGA) as it continues its campaign in the 44th William Jones Cup at the Xinzhuang Gymnasium in New Taipei City.

SGA coach Charles Tiu said they need to be smart with their rotations as some of the players are already feeling the strain of competing in three straight games.

In its 81-54 win over Qatar last Tuesday, Tiu made sure that nobody will see action for more than 28 minutes, knowing that it’s still a long way to go before they defend the title.

“We knew we had to be smart with our rotation. This tournament is a marathon, not a sprint,” said Tiu, who drew 18 points each from DJ Fenner and Javi Gomez de Liaño in their game against Qatar.

“We’re only halfway through, and we want the guys to stay fresh and ready for the tougher games ahead.”

The Frank Lao-backed squad faced tough competition in its first three games.

SGA opened its campaign with a 67-56 win over Chinese Taipei last Sunday before notching a 79-67 victory over the Japan Developmental Team last Monday and the Qataris on Tuesday.

The banged-up SGA, however, is set to get a big boost with Kiefer Ravena finally seeing action after missing the first three matches while import Tajuan Agee suiting up after missing the last game due to a groin injury.

Still, Tiu knows that for them to be the first Filipino basketball team to win back-to-back Jones Cup titles, they have to be careful in managing the minutes of the players.

“This will be the first time we’re complete. Kiefer brings leadership, composure, and stability. Having him here gives our guards and Filipino-Americans like DJ and Jason (Brickman) the support they need,” Tiu said.

“Tajuan is good to go today after taking a break yesterday but we’ll still be careful. There’s a lot of basketball left, and our goal is to peak at the right time.”