Jaén, Nov 29 (EFE) .- The Spanish basketball team was exhibited at the Olivo Arena in Jaén and achieved its second consecutive victory in the qualification window for the 2023 World Cup by defeating Georgia (89-61), which It posed fewer problems than expected and suffered the loss of Tornike Shengelia, one of its stars, and could only be sustained by Shermadini’s 21 points.
Spain’s defensive work paid off in the first quarter with impeccable work on both boards, where the great objective consisted of deactivating the power of the “giant” Giorgi Shermadini, who had to multiply in attack before Shengelia’s loss, and the little contribution of the other figure of the team, Thad McFadden.
Both Fran Guerra and Yankuba Sima were splendid in the Georgian’s marking, coupled with the fact that Spain began to demonstrate their success in the outside shot, so that at the end of the first 10 minutes they already left with an advantage of 8 points (23- 15, min 10).
In the second round, Sergio Scariolo’s team put on one more march with a choral and intense basketball supported by his safety in the paint with Sima in a stellar plan and success in the counterattack, well guided by Quino Colom and a successful Jaime Fernández, who which placed the team with a 20-point advantage (42-22) at 1.30 by the break. Only Shermadini kept the type before an Olivo Arena that roared in the first visit of the national team to the city.
With 16 points in their favor (47-31), Spain went to rest with an excellent image and with Jaime Fernández as the top scorer with 9 points, followed by Dani Díez with 8, while Shermadini was the only thing that Georgia offered, with 13 points, although McFadden made up the statistics before going through the locker room with 8.
In the resumption Georgia adjusted the rebound and tied something else in attack to Spain, who went three minutes without scoring and saw his rival get 12 points, but the magic of Jaime Fernández appeared at the key moment with two consecutive baskets that returned to place the double world champion with 18 points in her favor, to leave the fourth and almost the game resolved with 64-41 in the absence of the last ten minutes.
Scariolo, with the game decided, moved the bench, especially when he reached 33 points of income (73-45) with a triple from Malaga’s Alberto Díaz, which unleashed the madness of the Jaen fans, which with about 6,000 people filled the new sports venue and led Spain to its second win in the window against the strongest rival.
Data sheet:
89 Spain. Colom (6), Díez (8), Parra (3), Fernández (13) and Guerra (8) -five starting-, Pradilla (4), Díaz (4), Lopez-Arostegui (14), Yankuba Sima (10 ), Brizuela (8), Paulí (9) and Pérez (2).
61 Georgia. Burjanadze (14), Maziashvili, McFadden (14), Phevadze and Shermadini (21) -starting five-, Jintcharadze (8), Berishvili, Korsantia, Turdziladze (2), Pkhakadze (2) and Bakradze
Referees: Boris Krejic, Paulo Marques and Mavisu Can. From Slovenia, Portugal and Turkey. Without eliminated.
Incidents: Second day of the Window for the 2023 World Cup played at the Olivo Arena in Jaén before 6,000 people.
(c) EFE Agency