Slovenia Edges Georgia in FIBA U16 Thriller
Slovenia snatched a nail-biting 67-66 victory over Georgia at the FIBA U16 EuroBasket, completing a comeback that swung momentum dramatically.
Slovenia held a ten-point lead at halftime, 36-26, but Georgia mounted a significant charge in the third quarter, outscoring their opponents 26-14 to enter the final period ahead by two, 52-50.
Despite shooting just 34% from the field (24/71) and a dismal 24% from three-point range (7/29), Georgia’s bench provided a crucial spark, contributing 35 points. Aleksandre Lezhava scored 13 points off the bench, and Nikoloz Markoishvili added 11 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. However, 20 turnovers and a poor 55% free-throw shooting performance proved costly.
Slovenia, despite committing 25 turnovers, showed grit throughout. Roman Kolka led the charge with 16 points and 8 rebounds off the bench, complemented by Luka Ravnik’s 13 points and 5 rebounds. Crucially, Slovenia converted 76% of their free throws (19/25), a vital factor in the tight finish. This hard-fought win serves as a significant statement for Slovenia in the tournament.