EuroBasket: Georgia wins first qualifying match

Georgia’s national men’s basketball team has won its first EuroBasket 2015 qualifying match.

The Czech Republic were tough completion for the Georgians, but the Georgian’s used their home advantage and gained the lead in the fourth quarter, which ended in a final score of 73-62. The match was played in Tbilisi.

Georgia’s top scorer was Zaza Pachulia, who scored 19 points.

"We fought until the end and defeated the national team of the Czech Republic,” Pachulia said after the match.

"This is only the beginning. We still have a number of matches ahead,” said Pachulia, who is an NBA basketball player for Milwaukee Bucks.

This was the first of four qualification games for Georgia.

Georgia will next visit Kecskemet and challenge the Hungarian men’s side in the second EuroBasket 2015 qualifier on Wednesday.

The team that wins the four-nation group - Portugal, Czech, Georgia and Hungary – is guaranteed a place in next year's European Championship. The six best teams who place second in their pool will also qualify.