After the New Year’s break, the basketball Super League was renewed. Olimpi and Batumi met each other. They both are in the middle of the standings with 7 victories and 5 defeats. Accordingly, this game was a matter of principle for both sides.
Mikheil Chochua and Mark Ogden were missing from Olimpi because of injuries, while Nika Darbaidze was injured in the first half and could not return to the playground. And Batumi had only three benchwarmers – Vakhtang Qadaria, Giorgi Kvelashvili and Ivane Maisuradze.
The match was equal with a transitional advantage. Initially, the Batumians were able to win the first period with 1 point, then they increased the difference 36:33. But Olimpi managed to tie the game in the third period and became leaders with 1 point at the end of the quarter.
In the final period, players from the both teams fouled out of the game – Revaz Rogava and Gegi Baqradze from Olimpi, Spencer Collins and Vakhtang Qadaria from Batumi. At the last minute, Givi Baqradze scored a two-point and Olimpi became a leader 66:64, in the responsive attack Leonid Stefanyshyn missed a three-point shot. Olimpi managed to win in the remaining seconds.
Morris Hill led the winners with 25 points. Givi Baqradze and Merab Boqolishvili scored 14-14 points each. Spencer Collins became a top scorer in Batumi with 22 points. Stefan Andrejevich had 16 points and 19 rebounds.
Davit Rogava – Olimpi coach:
“The team is in a very bad condition, we have six players injured. In fact, we played with seven players today. I would like to express my gratitude to our boys for the devotion that has been shown today. They have done everything they could to win this very hard game. The next game is with Dinamo and we are preparing for it. I hope, the injured players will return soon.”
Vladimir Bosniak – Batumi head coach:
“We were trying to put the ball inside, we couldn’t get it and we lost the game. I hope, we will improve the mistakes.”
