Basketball season opened at the Tbilisi Olympic Palace today with the Dudu Dadiani Memorial. The tournament in memory of the former captain of the Georgian national team and vice-president of the Basketball Federation has been held since 2002 and this year it is being held for the 19th time.
9 teams of Super League are participating in this year’s competition and they are divided into 3 groups. The group winners and the best second-place holder will advance to the semifinals. 3 matches of the first round were held today.
Rustavi-Mgzavrebi (Group A)
Statistics: 94:63
Qvemo Qartli team will have great ambition this year. The team of Anatoli Boisa and Mikheil Beruashvili gathered a solid team and showed their strength in the very first official match. Rustavians defeated Mgzavrebi by 31 points – 94:63. However, it should be said that in the debut minutes, the Tbilisi team trained by Buba Berishvili looked better and initially advanced 9:0.
Qvemo Qartli equalized the score in the 8th minute, after which they advanced and did not give a chance to the opponent in the remaining time. 3 American legionnaires, one of whom, Mike Davis, played for Cactus last season, were at the highest level. Georgian players also supported the Americans and Rustavi took the game to victory easily.
Jylan Washington led the winners with 20 points. Guga Patashuri and Michale Davis scored 12-12 points each. Maliek White had 10 points. Soso Gognadze was the most effective in Mgzavrebi with 23 points. Taylor Adway collected 16 points.
The third member of group A – TSU was resting, which will face Rustavi tomorrow at 12:00.
Please note that spectators are not allowed to attend the games. You can watch the live broadcast of the games on our site, through the current video stream on the game’s live statistics page.
Cactus – Titebi (Group B)
Statistics: 92:68
The official debut of the former basketball player of the Georgian national team, Manuchar Markoishvili, took place as the head coach in this match. The coach of Titebi gave up his first career meeting. Cactus trained by Archil Zhgenti found its own game after the equal first half, played the right combinations and took a huge step towards victory by winning the third quarter 21:14.
Titebi wasn’t able to change anything in the final period, lost the period 12:30 and eventually lost with a huge difference – 68:92. Samajae Jones led the winners with 27 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Sandro Sanadze helped the winners with 23 points. Irakli Sulkhanishvili collected 14 points. Branden Aughburns had a double-double in Titebi (11 points, 10 rebounds). Davit Lomidze scored 10 points.
The third member of the same group, Tbilisi Vera was resting today and will join the memorial tomorrow with a match against Titebi (15:00).
Kutaisi-Olimpi (Group C)
Statistics: 77:75
The last match of today’s round turned out to be the most tense and interesting. Olimpi and Kutaisi met each other. The fate of the match was decided at the last second. Ilia Londaridze, an experienced center of Kutaisi, rebounded the three-point shot of his teammate Kaheem Ransom and placed the ball into the basket. The final siren rang and Imereti club gained victory – 77:75.
It must be said in favor of Olimpi that despite playing without the Legionnaires, they had a real chance of winning. Three Americans have just arrived in Tbilisi, who attended the game but did not take part in the match. Kutaisians, on the other hand, along with the above-mentioned Londaridze, also had an experienced Akaki Dvalishvili and 2 American legionnaires – Kaheem Ransom and De Juan Wright.
Olimpi, trained by Dimitri Jakobov, won the first period 28:12 and would have achieved more, if Kutaisians didn’t tie the game. Kote Tughushi took minute-breaks, made some changes and revived his team. Imereti Club equalized the game first and then, after the first half – the score as well.
After a big break, the equal fight continued and the match almost moved to overtime, however, as mentioned above, Ilia Londaridze shot the winning ball, accompanied by the final siren.
De Juan Wright led the winners with 20 points and 8 rebounds. Londaridze scored 13 points, Levan Grdzelidze and Giorgi Barbaqadze had 12-12 points each. Akaki Dvalishvili was very effective under the reem and scored 12 rebounds and 6 points. Luka Kalatozishvili scored 25 points from Olimpi, Otar Pkhakadze had 23 points.
The third member of group C, Tskhum-Apkhazeti will join the memorial tomorrow with a match against Kutaisi (16:00).
