Vera gained the third victory in a row against Batumi

The successful series of basketball club Vera continues. As the team moved away from the head coach, Levan Patsatsia, who was replaced by the club’s president, Davit Gasitashvili, Vera won all three matches. If the Tbilisi team won the first and second matches convincingly – with a difference of 44 points in total, the victory in today’s match was gained as a result of a great fight. It can be said that Vera was lucky with Batumi, because the latter missed 5/6 free throws at the last minute. Also an equalizing score by Serbian legionnaire of Batumi – Nikola Vujovic didn’t get in the basket at the decisive second. 

However, the game was going on in such a way that Vera should not have had a tense fight. After a more or less equal first half, Vera players intensified in the third period and gained a significant, 14-point advantage. Gasitashvili’s team advanced 61:47 after Joshua Hawley’s accurate shot at the 25th minute of the match and turned out to be in a very favorable situation to win.

This is where Vera players made lots of efforts, their long-range shots were getting to the basket more often and the score was equalized in the beginning of the final period. Vera had to start all over again, and it’s noteworthy that despite the squandering of solid leadership, they were not confused, they gathered as a one fist and managed to advance again – 87:81 2:20 minutes before the end.

This is where the dramatic scene we’ve mentioned above took place. The three-pointers of Levan Eliadze and Nemanja Kapetanovic brought Batumi back in the game for the second time and the seaside players were given a chance to equalize again. Batumi was behind by 2 points 87:89 and its leader Beka Bekauri missed twoo free-throws 70 seconds before the end. However, Bryson Scot from Vera missed the attack and this time the Serbian legionnaire from Batumi was given the opportunity to equalize. Kapetanovic scored just one free throw and the Tbilisians moved on to attack 30 seconds before the final siren. Givi Baqradze missed a three-pointer and Batumi’s forward Levan Eliadze stood on the penalty line 9 seconds before the end of the match. He missed both free throws and the ball remained to Vera.

In order to save time, obviously, Batumi coached by Gia Kazanjiani took a tactical foul and Bryson Scot only managed to score the first one, however, in the second attempt, a dispute arose during the fight for the ball thrown from the shield, and the ball was left to Vera 4 seconds before the end, considering the principle of rotation. This meant the victory of Tbilisi, but the ball brought from the line wasn’t gained by them and so that the counting of time did not begin, the right to own the ball was given to Batumi.

The attack planned on the minute break was well played by Batumi, however, Vujovic who was under cover in fact alone, missed the equalizer and Vera, this time finally, celebrated the victory – 90:88 (Statistics). Bryson Scot led the winners with 28 points. Josh Hawley scored 22 points and 10 rebounds. Luka Maziashvili collected 11 points. Thomas Wilder was the most effective in Batumi with 21 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds. Nikola Vujovic scored 18 points. Levan Eliadze had 14 points.

Another match will be held at the Olympic Palace today: Tskhum-Apkhazeti will host Kutaisi.