Basketball: No World Cup qualifying miracle for ÖBV basketball players

As expected, the “miracle of Tbilisi” did not take place: Austria’s basketball men also lost their sixth and final match (Group G) in qualifying for the 2019 World Cup on Monday evening and were thus eliminated. They lost to host Georgia 73:98 (33:51). Jakob Pöltl had to pass because of an infection.

Without the NBA Center – and because Rasid Mahalbasic and Jozo Rados were also missing – not a single real indoor player was available to the ÖBV team. Nevertheless, the Austrians did very well under the opponent’s basket with 18 offensive rebounds. Moritz Lanegger alone won six.

However, the Georgian power forward Tornike Schengelia could never be brought under control. The 2.07-metre-high 26-year-old, who is one of the top players in the Spanish ACB, already had a double-double after only 14:18 minutes of betting time with 19 points and ten rebounds. In the end, it was 24 and twelve.

The offensively strongest weapon of the Austrians this Monday evening was Marvin Ogunsipe. The 22-year-old legionary at FC Bayern Basketball recorded a personal best performance in the national team with 18 points. Lanegger contributed 16 points for the ÖBV selection, which will now play their next competition matches in September in the qualification for the European Championship 2021. For the continental tournament in three years the domestic association wants to apply for a preliminary round.

Georgia have played better for long stretches, Lanegger had to admit: “We knew it would be difficult without a centre. We had to completely change our playing style. But the Georgians have hit their litters.”

“The changes we had to make on the defensive didn’t work,” said coach Mike Coffin. “We have had to accept many threesomes from Georgia (there were 16 of them, note).”

Pöltl’s failure in Tbilisi had already been announced by ÖBV in a broadcast on Monday morning. According to team doctor Georg Jonas, the 22-year-old suffers from a “new infection of the foot”. Therapy had been initiated “immediately”. The duration of the training break for Pöltl “is currently not foreseeable”, the doctor was quoted.