By Cesare Milanti/ info@eurohoops.net
Latvia, Riga – For the first time in their history, Georgia made it to the Eurobasket quarterfinals, beating stunned France in the Round of 16 with the final score being 80-70.
Naturalized point guard Kamar Baldwin with 24 points, and captain Toko Shengelia also with 24 points and eight rebounds, made things happen, while Sylvain Fransisco was the top scorer of France with 14 points.
“We said from the pre-game meeting that we are playing to win”, said Shengelia after the game, “we are happy to be here, but we are not satisfied”.
Sandro Mamukelashvili, with 14 points and 11 rebounds, added a double-double for the winners.
France finished the game with just 35% FG efficiency and 74% in free throws, and as coach Fredéeic Fauthoux admitted after congratulating Georgia: “We missed sometimes some easy shots, so this is basketball”.
Georgia was almost constantly in the lead for 35 minutes, with the score being 66-64 in their favor with half a period left in the game.
Elie Okobo tied the score at 66; however, Shengelia, with a big three, gave a bit later a crucial 71-68 lead.
In the next play, Goga Bitadze blocked Jalen Hoard, and then Hoard fouled Kamar Baldwin on a three-pointer attempt, as the shot clock expired.
With just one and a half minutes left, Baldwin made all three (74-68), and France couldn’t get into striking distance again. The tournament ended prematurely for the Olympic silver medalists, who had many big absences before the tournament, namely Victor Wembanyama, and also lost big man Alexander Sarr on the way.
Photo credit: FIBA