By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
Georgia defeated the Philippines, 96-94, but was eliminated from the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Riga on Thursday.
Georgia required a win by a margin of 19 points or more against the Philippines and went up 40-20 near the end of the first half. Coming back after the break, the team coached by Tim Cone even enjoyed a brief lead and comfortably remained within clinching distance.
Recording 28 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists, Justin Brownlee was the top performer for Gilas Pilipinas. Towering center Kai Sotto suffered a rib injury and was forced to an early exit.
For the team coached by Aleksandar Dzikic, Sandro Mamukelashvili had 26 points.
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Lebanon stuns Angola
Lebanon is through to the semifinals of the 2024 FIBA OQT in Valencia, after a suprising 70-74 win over Angola, and they will face Bahamas in the game for the final.
Former NBA player Omari Spellman led the way for the team coached by Serbian tactitian Miodrag Perisic, posting a double-double of 22 points and 13 rebounds.
Cameroon defeats Brazil and sends Montenegro home
Cameroon defeated Brazil 77-74 at 2024 FIBA OQT in Riga, and advanced to the semifinals, where they’ll meet Latvia, while despite the loss, the South American team will face Phillipines in the next stage of the tournament.
No Giannis, no problem for Greece against Egypt
Greece expectedly defeated Egypt 93-71, even without the help of Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was rested. They secured the top spot in the group and will face Slovenia in the semifinals. Egypt is out of the 2024 FIBA OQT in Piraeus, and the Dominican Republic will meet Croatia.
Dinos Mitoglou and Georgios Papagiannis led Vassilis Spanoulis’ team to their second win with 16 points each, while Kostas Papanikolaou followed with 15 points. Vasileios Charalampopoulos added 13, and Giannoulis Larentzakis scored 12 points.
On the other side, Ahmed Metwaliy stood out with 22 points, being the only player to reach double figures for Egypt.
Finland eliminates Poland after big comeback
Poland had a 14-point lead in the final quarter, but it wasn’t enough. After a huge comeback, Finland edged out Igor Milicic’s side in the dying moments and recorded a semifinals-worthy 88-89 win.
A.J. Slaughter and Mateusz Ponitka had two chances in the final seconds to win the game, but missed their shots, and Finland goes through to face Spain in the 2024 FIBA OQT Valencia semifinal.
Mikael Jantunen led the winning team with 20 points, while Alexander Madsen scored some crucial shots in the end, finishing the match with 18 points.
On the other side, A.J. Slaughter had 21 points, and San Antonio Spurs player, Jeremy Sochan, added 20 points with eight rebounds. Ponitka followed with 17 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists.
Italy gets Lithuania in the Semifinals
A solid display in the fourth quarter powered Puerto Rico, the host of the San Juan OQT, to take down Italy, 80-69, and secure first place in Group B. Ranking second, Gianmarco Pozzecco’s side clashes with Lithuania, top seed of Group A. Tucking in seven three-pointers, Jose Alvarado finished with 29 points, sending Los Gallos to a key win.
Clinching the second seed in Group A with a 92-81 victory against Cote d’Ivoire, Mexico is the next opponent for Puerto Rico. Paul Stoll with 23 points and 11 assists, Josh Ibarra with 22 points and 11 rebounds, and Fabian Jaimes with 15 points and 12 rebounds put up double-doubles.
2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments
Piraeus
Group A
Slovenia – Croatia 92-108
Croatia – New Zealand 86-90
New Zealand – Slovenia 78-104
STANDINGS: Croatia 3 (1-1), Slovenia 3 (1-1), New Zealand 1 (1-1)
Group B
Egypt – Dominican Republic 77-90
Greece – Dominican Republic 109-82
Greece – Egypt 93-71
STANDINGS: Greece 4 (2-0), Dominican Republic 3 (1-1), Egypt 2 (0-2)
Semifinals (6/7)
Greece – Slovenia (16:30 CET)
Croatia – Dominican Republic (20:00 CET)
Final (7/7)
Winners of Semifinals (20:00 CET)
Riga
Group A
Latvia – Georgia 83-55
Latvia – Philippines 80-89
Philippines – Georgia 94-96
STANDINGS: Latvia 3 (1-1), Philippines 3 (1-1), Georgia 3 (1-1)
Group B
Brazil – Montenegro 81-72
Montenegro – Cameroon 70-66
Cameroon – Brazil 77-74
STANDINGS: Brazil 3 (1-1), Cameroon 3 (1-1), Montenegro 3 (1-1)
Semifinals (6/7)
Brazil – Philippines (14:30 CET)
Latvia – Cameroon (18:00 CET)
Final (7/7)
Winners of Semifinals (18:00 CET)
San Juan
Group A
Mexico – Lithuania 84-96
Lithuania – Cote d’Ivoire 97-93
Cote d’Ivoire – Mexico 81-92
STANDINGS: Lithuania 4 (2-0), Mexico 3 (1-1), Cote d’Ivoire 2 (0-2)
Group B
Italy – Bahrain 114-53
Puerto Rico – Bahrain 99-65
Puerto Rico – Italy 80-69
STANDINGS: Puerto Rico 4 (2-0), Italy 3 (1-1), Bahrain 2 (0-2)
Semifinals (6/7)
Lithuania – Italy (22:00 CET)
Puerto Rico – Mexico (7/7, 01:00)
Final (8/7)
Winners of Semifinals (00:00 CET)
Valencia
Group A
Spain – Lebanon 104-59
Spain – Angola 89-81
Angola – Lebanon 70-74
STANDINGS: Spain 4 (2-0), Lebanon 3 (1-1), Angola 2 (0-2)
Group B
Finland – Bahamas 85-96
Bahamas – Poland 90-81
Poland – Finland 88-89
STANDINGS: Bahamas 4 (2-0), Finland 3 (1-1), Poland 2 (0-2)
Semifinals (6/7)
Bahamas – Lebanon (17:30 CET)
Spain – Finland (20:30 CET)
Final (7/7)
Winners of Semifinals (20:30 CET)
Photo Credit: FIBA.BASKETBALL