Kutaisi team won Dudu Dadiani Cup. The club trained by Kote Tughushi won the memorial tournament of the famous Georgian basketball player for the second time. First time, this happened in 2011, when Kutaisi 2010 defeated the team of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, today they defeated Rustavi by 14 points and returned to Kutaisi with Dudu Dadiani Cup.
Rustavi trained by Anatoli Boisa excellently conducted all the matches before the final. Qvemo Qartli did not have any difficulties with any of the rivals until they faced Kutaisi in the title match. The Imereti club tournament history was almost the opposite. Tughushi team won the group matches with difficulty, after which they opened their second breath and held both playoff matches – the semifinal and the final with one breath.
The final match was especially easy, the beginning of which Kutaisi won 25:17, and in the second ten minutes they advanced with a double score – 44:22. The success of Kutaisi is in an experienced and well-balanced team. After the group stage, Kutaisi was joined by Luke Moyer, who connected the front and back line with his speed and especially accurate long shots. Nobody should know better than Akaki Dvalishvili and Ilia Londaridze what is happening in the three second zone of the Super League teams, which appeared again in this match. These players did a great job in both undercover zones, giving the Kutaisi team a chance to win.
The final match was not tense, except for the difference reduced by 7 points by Rustavi seven minutes before the end of the match, which immediately exceeded 10 points in favor of Kutaisi with the result of Ilia Londaridze and Akaki Dvalishvili.
Eventually, Kutaisi won 92:78 and deservedly gained the Dadiani Cup. Ilia Londaridze was named the best player of the tournament, who shot the most important ball in the decisive moment, in the final minutes of the game, when Dvalishvili fouled out of the court. Londaridze was awarded by the President of the Basketball National Federation Paata Guraspauli and Dudu’s nephews Sandro and Nita at the ceremony held after the match. Sandro and Nita handed over the Dudu Cup to the captain of Kutaisi Giorgi Barbakadze.
It can be seen from the statistics that Kutaisi played united as a team. 6 out of 8 basketball players on the court exceeded the ten-point mark. Londaridze became a top scorer with 21 points, Giorgi Barbaqadze scored 17 points, Akaki Dvalishvili had 15 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 blocks. Michael Davis was the most effective with 23 points in Rustavi. Jylan Washington scored 17 points and 9 rebounds.
Dudu Dadiani Memorial. Finale. October 12
Rustavi – Kutaisi
Statistics: 78:92
