Mighty Sports have officially swept Jones Cup for second championship title

 “Jones Cup Champions! No egos in the team! We were together for a very short time only but this team was special! Great character guys.. who committed to playing some D!” (Photo: @charlestiu/Instagram)

Team Mighty Sports-Go for Gold Pilipinas has officially claimed the second gold medal for the Philippines in the past three years after stunning Taiwan-B with a 10-point victory, 81-71, last Sunday, July 21 at the Xinzhuang Gym in New Taipei City – officially completing their eight-match sweep.

Despite missing the presence of Renaldo Balkman who was suffering an injured nose from the match the day prior against Taiwan A, Eugene Phelps was able to find momentum as he contributed 24 points the entire game. Mighty Sports was outscored by their opponents, 23-19, in the third quarter, but Phelps was aided by McKenzie Moore in the fourth to bring their team to a double-digit lead. Throughout the game, Moore totalled 16 points, while teammate Joseph Yeo also had a personal 11-4 run in the second quarter. None of the players Coach Charles Tiu inserted into the game went scoreless.

For the younger Taiwanese team, Yung Cheng Wu obtained 15 points, while Kuei Yu Chou and Kuan Chun Li contributed 10 points individually, finishing their run with two wins and six losses.

In sealing the deal and celebrating their victory, the Mighty Sports’ head coach Tiu responded, “We missed the energy and power of Renaldo but it was a good win for the team, everybody contributed.” Team owner Alex Wongchuking also beamed with pride, stating, “As they say, it’s sweeter the second time around. The boys really played well. We’re also happy because we gave our kababayans here a real entertainment,” referring to the Philippine crowd present at the international venue.

The Jones Cup began in 1977, with the Philippines winning six championships ever. In 1981 and 1986, Northern Consolidated bagged the title, while the Philippine Centennial team were the champions in 1988. In 2012, the country was represented by the Gilas Pilipinas, who grabbed the title that year. The last time Mighty Sports got the top spot in the tournament prior to this edition was in 2016.

Mighty Sports also made franchise history by extending their winning streak to 16.