The Georgian national basketball team made history at EuroBasket, defeating tournament heavyweight France 80:70 in the Round of 16 to secure a first-ever place in the quarterfinals of the continental championship.

From the opening tip, Georgia set the tone. Led by Kamar Baldwin, the team started strong, taking the first quarter 24:20 — their highest-scoring opening period at EuroBasket since 2011.

Head coach Aleksandar Džikić managed his lineup with precision, strategically rotating players and resting key figures. Goga Bitadze logged 10 minutes in the first half, while captain Tornike Shengelia made a major impact with 13 points in just 13 minutes. Shengelia continued his EuroBasket consistency, having now scored at least 10 points in 16 of his last 19 appearances in the tournament.

The game tightened in the third quarter as both defenses stepped up. France leaned heavily on free throws to stay in contention, but Georgia maintained a narrow 58:54 lead entering the final period.

The decisive moments came late in the game. With 2:30 remaining, Bitadze buried a crucial three-pointer to give Georgia a three-point edge. Baldwin and Shengelia then calmly converted free throws down the stretch to hold off a French comeback attempt.

Shengelia and Baldwin led all scorers with 24 points each, while Sandro Mamukelashvili added 14. Bitadze contributed 8 points, Beka Burjanadze scored 6, and Giorgi Shermadini chipped in with 4.

With this landmark win, Georgia moves into the EuroBasket quarterfinals for the first time and will face Finland on September 10 at 22:00 Tbilisi time. The match will be broadcast live on GPB First Channel.