Georgian national basketball team won all the periods at qualifying European championship first time and it goes without saying that it managed to win. Today Georgians managed to beat Romanians with higher point difference than in the start stage of the tournament.  If we make comparison, Georgian team played without Zaza Pachulia again in this match and at the end of the match, which was held in Tbilisi, Pachulia stated that during the whole match he was worrying, while sitting in tribunes, but in this match he did not have any reason to worry.
Romanians showed relevant resistance only in some episodes. Especially at the beginning of the fourth episode, the score was 69:65 but Giorgi Tsintsadze did his best and gained 4 points in a row, which followed by exact shoots by Viktor Sanikidze and Manuchar Markoishvili 78:65, these moments was decisive in this match. Besides these mentioned players, Jacob Pulen needs to be appraised, as for the player of the match it is Tornike Shengelia, statistic also proves it.  “Toko” in comparison with partners played for 39 minutes and gained 23 points and 10 rebounds, he scored double-double. It is remarkable that 78 % of his attempt of shooting was correct.
Georgia stayed confident throughout the opening quarter. They recorded a 24:21 lead after ten minutes. The visitors boosted the lead in the second quarter. They established a 47:39 halftime buffer. Georgia kept the hosts at distance throughout the third stanza. The visitors accumulated a 10-point advantage heading into the final frame. Georgia did not give a single chance for Romania rolling to the victory at the end. Manuchar Markoishvili (196-SF-86) netted 17 points, while Viktor Sanikidze (203-SF-86) provided 13 points in the victory. Andrei Mandache (191-G/F-87, agency: Global Sports Plaza) answered with 22 points for Romania. Mihail-Octavian Paul (188-PG-82) had 14 points in the loss. 
On September 5, very important match is ahead us in Tbilisi. We hope that Zaza Pachulia also will play against Bosnia and will manage again to compete at European championship. In the last round we will not have any difficulties to beat Holland in Tbilisi.
Romania – Georgia 74:91 (21:24 18:23 20:22 15:22)
Sibiu. 1500 spectators
Romania: Rares Mandache (22p, 2r, 4a),Mihal-Oktavian Paul (14p, 1r, 4a), Ionut Dragusin (3p, 2r), Dragush Andrei (11p, 2r),) Vlad Moldoveanu (7p, 4r, 3a),Katalin Bachiu (3p, 4r), Titus Nikoara (10p, 11r, 4a), Mihai Silvashan (4p, 1r, 3a).
Chairman: Mladen Ostoits
Georgia: Anatoli Boisa (2 r), Giorgi Tsintsadze (12p, 4r, 8a),Giorgi Shermadini (6p, 5r, 1a), Manuchar Markoishvili (17p, 2r, 1a), Levan Patsatsia (1r), Viktor Sanikidze (13p, 6r, 2a), Nika Metreveli (4p, 2r), Tornike Shengelia (23p, 10r, 1a), Besik Lezhava, Jacob Pulen (16p, 1r, 3a).
Chairman: Igor Kokoskov
Referees : Mehmet Kezeratar (Turkey), Sefi Semesh (Isral), Nikolaos Somos (Greece)


Georgia 5 4 1 9
Latvia 5 3 2 8
Bosnia 5 3 2 8
Holland 5 2 3 7
Romania 6 1 5 7

September 5
Georgia – Bosnia
Holland – Latvia
Romania has day-off

Gocha Kacharava