In despite of a loss on the crucial match, Georgian national team still has a chance of progress through to the final stage from the second position. In order for this to happen, Georgia needs to win the remaining two games against Portugal and Bulgaria, while Poland needs to lose at least one of the three upcoming matches against Portugal (at home) or Belgium (away).
Belgium has a good chance of finished on a top of a group. Bulgaria has no chance if they will lose to Georgia away from home. In case of the same amounts of points, Georgia has an advantage over Poland. Belgium on the other hand should lose two of the remaining three matches (Poland, Bulgaria, and Portugal). In case it will happen so, ball difference criteria will decide whoever among us two will finish in the first place. Belgium should have won by as many points as possible against Georgia. Unfortunately, it happened so as 5 minutes until the buzzer our team’s head coach decided to bring in players that played very few minutes in the game (ex. Shengelia, Tugushi).
Note that last time Georgian basketball national team lost at home was on February 27th, 1999 against the Italian national team. We have not lost 18 consecutive home matches. Number 19 was not lucky for the Georgians. This game was crucial for both sides, which are battling for the final stage place in 2011 European Basketball Championships. No doubt that after win in Tbilisi Bulgarian chance of qualifying has increased however nobody has secured the final stage promotion yet.
Today’s game has attracted a huge interest. Stands were full and people who came late had to seat on a stairs, between the stands, of the Tbilisi Sport Palace. The match started with a home side advantage, when they have made a quick 7-0 run. It seemed that the hosts will take a full revenge for the 10-point loss (64:74) in the first time in Belgium; unfortunately it did not happen that way. After losing the first quarter by 3 points (15:18) the away team turnaround game scenario and was leading 36:29 at the break. It can be said that fortune was against Georgia in this game, as its players failed to score from a very close distance. Another sad fact is that nobody among the “Crusaders” (nickname of Georgian team) players was on fire. Belgium players have mentioned this and started thinking of winning the game. They have done their job perfectly, especially Feison (16 points), Begin (15), and Ervele (15) who had made a huge contribution to their team’s victory.
Pachulia and Green were on the top scoring list among the hosts.
2011 European Basketball Championships Qualifying Round. Group C. II Leg.
Georgia – Belgium 63:86 (18:15; 11:21; 17:29; 17:21)
Georgia: Tsintsadze (3), Green (11), Sanikidze (8), Shengelia (9), Pachulia (11), Gamkrelidze, Shermadini (9), Tugushi, Markoishvili (5), Metreveli (2), Tskitishvili (5)
Head Coach: Igor Kokoshkov
Belgium: Moors (5), Van Rossom (13), Feison (16), Ervele (15), Van Den Schpiegel (5), Begin (15), Ovenke, Jonkheid (5), Laurse (5), Driesen (), Tabu-Eboma (5), Muia (2)
Head Coach: Eddy Casteels
Referees: Victor Bozhevar (UKR), Spiridon Gontas (GRE), Omer Esteroni (ISR)
Commissar: Plaven Gencev (Hungary)
Roland Labuchidze
