The Georgian national basketball team wrote history at EuroBasket by defeating one of the tournament’s top contenders, France, 80:70 in the round of 16, earning its first-ever place in the quarterfinals of the continental championship.
Georgia displayed its strength from the very start. Led by Kamar Baldwin, the team took control early and secured the first quarter 24:20 — the country’s highest opening-quarter score at EuroBasket since 2011.
Head coach Aleksandar Džikić rotated his players wisely, giving rest to his leaders. Goga Bitadze played just 10 minutes in the first half, while captain Tornike Shengelia made his mark with 13 points in 13 minutes. Shengelia has now scored at least 10 points in 16 of his last 19 EuroBasket appearances.
The third quarter saw the game tighten, with defenses dominating on both ends. France leaned heavily on free throws, but Georgia held on to a narrow 58:54 advantage heading into the final period.
The decisive stretch came in the closing minutes. With 2:30 remaining, Bitadze drained a vital three-pointer to give Georgia the lead. Baldwin and Shengelia then secured the victory with calm precision from the free-throw line, shutting down France’s comeback hopes.
Shengelia and Baldwin finished as joint top scorers with 24 points each, while Sandro Mamukelashvili added 14, Bitadze 8, Beka Burjanadze 6, and Giorgi Shermadini 4.
With this historic triumph, Georgia marches into the EuroBasket quarterfinals for the first time, where it will face Finland. The game is set for September 10 at 22:00 Tbilisi time and will be broadcast live on GPB First Channel.
Image: 1TV Sport
