By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
Georgia secured a thrilling 91–89 overtime victory against Spain in Tbilisi during the FIBA World Cup 2027 Qualifiers on Sunday.
Chus Mateo’s squad established a commanding 22-point lead early on and maintained control for most of the contest. However, the hosts mounted a fierce second-half comeback.
The turning point arrived late in the fourth quarter when naturalized guard Marcquise Reed knocked down a critical three-pointer to knot the game at 81–81. Moments later, veteran forward Tornike Shengelia followed up with a crucial bucket to give Georgia its very first lead at 83–81. Spain’s Jaime Pradilla answered quickly with a layup to tie the game once more, sending the intense matchup into an extra period.
In overtime, the team coached by Aleksandar Dzikic fell behind by five points early but rallied behind its star duo. Reed hit a decisive shot with just 19 seconds remaining on the clock to seal the two-point advantage. Spain mishandled its final offensive possession as time expired.
Shengelia orchestrated the victory with a game-high 37 points, a new personal record with his senior national team, while Reed provided stellar backcourt support with 32 points to go with seven assists. On the wrong end, Willy Hernangomez tallied a team-high 19 points, with Hugo Gonzalez limited to nine points on 3-of-8 from the field.
With the win, Georgia improved its record to 3–3 in Group A, while Spain dropped to 5–1. Both sides will advance to the final round of the European Qualifiers, carrying their respective win-loss tallies into Group I. A new six-game schedule is set to tip off in late August, where the top three national teams from the newly formed pool will clinch their berths to the final stage held next summer in Qatar.
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