VEF Rīga will meet at home today with the strong Lithuanian club Vilnius “Rutas” in the fourth game of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Champions League group tournament.
The closed game “Arena Riga” for visitors will start at 7 pm, but it will be broadcast live on TV6.
In the first mutual game of subgroup E, the Rigans sowed a 17-point lead in Vilnius on December 8, however, they defended the lead and won with 85:81. In the first match of the season, the Rigans dramatically lost to the French club Strasbourg SIG with 75:77, but then defeated the Greek team “Peristeri” with 84:81.
The group’s first game of the fourth round took place on Tuesday, in which the Strasbourg basketball players beat Peristeri by 79:76.
In group E, led by three victories in four matches, SIG is in second place, “VEF Rīga” is in second place with two successes in three battles, “Rytas” is in third place with three wins, and “Peristeri” is fourth with one victory in four games.
During this time, Vilnius club has played one game, in which the superiority of Panevėžys “Lietkabelis” was recognized with 59:78. Along with the misfortunes in the square “Rytas” also affected Covid-19, last week two members of the club administration fell ill.
The team of the Lithuanian capital, haunted by injuries and viruses, last week strengthened the line-up with American tall player Keith Benson, who has previously played in these latitudes, as well as once played three matches in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Rigans will receive guests from Vilnius in a fighting mood, because last week they experienced their first loss in the Latvian-Estonian Basketball League, acknowledging the superiority of “Ogre” with 58:72. In the local championship “VEF Rīga” has won 11 out of 12 games and takes the first place in the Latvian team group.
Vilnius “Rytas” is in the third place in the Lithuanian championship with a balance of 7-5.
Previously, both teams met in the 2013/2014 ULEB Eurocup qualifier, where Lithuanians celebrated their victory.
Last season, “VEF Rīga” debuted in the FIBA Champions League, ranking last in the group with one success in 14 games. Meanwhile, the Vilnius club played in the ULEB Eurocup, where it stopped in the “Top 16” round.
“VEF Rīga” participated in the Old Continent club tournaments for the last time in the 2014/2015 season, when it played in the ULEB Eurocup.
The elimination tournament will be achieved by the two best teams from each subgroup.
The fifth season is taking place in the Champions League tournament, and only “Ventspils” team from Latvia have participated in this competition before. In the first year, Ventspils entered the first round of the playoffs, ranking fifth and sixth in the group for the next two seasons and continuing the fight in the FIBA European Cup.
Also this year, competitions were planned in four groups of eight teams, the best four of which will advance to the next round, but the Covid-19 pandemic has forced the organizers to decide to cut the groups in half.
Due to Covid-19, the 2019/2020 season was completed only at the end of September – beginning of October, when the winner of the competition “bubble” in Athens was Burgos “San Pablo”, which played the home AEK in the final with 85:74.
Artis Ate, Arnolds Helmanis, Verners Kohs, Emīls Krūmiņš, Pēteris Salmiņš, Aigars Šķēle, Mārcis Vītols and Kristers Zoriks, American basketball players Kails Almans, Maikls Kaisers and Aizeja Kaisers have also entered the FIBA Champions League Madsens.
The team is led by head coach Jānis Gailītis, assisted by Jevgenijs Kosuškins and Dāvis Čoders, as well as physical training coach Oskars Ernšteins.
