Italy secures first victory against Georgia

Italy managed to prevail against a fighting Georgia team, who came with confidence after surprising Spain in their previous match. This confrontation was crucial for the Italians, who had already lost to Greece in their tournament opener.

A 16-0 run at the end for the Italians

After struggling on Thursday, Simone Fontecchio contributed to this victory with 14 points, despite notable difficulties from long range (0/5 from 3-point). The only Italian NBA player still fulfilled his offensive role and helped Italy overcome a formidable Georgian squad.

It was ultimately Saliou Niang who proved to be the key player of this game. The forward scored 15 points in just 17 minutes of play, providing the necessary offensive impact at crucial moments. Mouhamet Diouf also contributed to the collective effort with 13 points. Most importantly, Italy went on a 16-0 run against Georgia spanning the third and fourth quarters (from 50-47 to 66-47) to pull away for the win.

Chef Momo cooking in the paint 👨‍🍳#EuroBasket x @Italbasket pic.twitter.com/eboKreyhEh

— FIBA EuroBasket (@EuroBasket) August 30, 2025

On the Georgian side, Goga Bitadze delivered a remarkable performance with 22 points, trying to keep his team in the game. Sandro Mamukelashvili was quieter with 13 points on 4/11 shooting, while captain Toko Shengelia had a difficult evening. The FC Barcelona forward didn’t score any points in 21 minutes of playing time and was even ejected, compromising his team’s chances.

This victory allows both Italy and Georgia to show identical records of one win and one loss in Group C. Both teams remain in contention for qualification, with their ambitions intact for the rest of the competition.