“VEF Riga” Photo: estlatbl.com
Today, two games will be played in the regular championship of “Pafbet” Latvian-Estonian Basketball League (LIBL), both of them with the participation of domestic teams.
At 5 pm, “VEF Rīga” and “Ogre” will measure their strength at the Rimi Olympic Sports Center. “VEF Rīga” with six victories in seven games in the tournament table takes the second place after “Ventspils”, which won all six battles. “Ogre” occupies the seventh column with three victories in five duels.
Rigans have won three previous LIBL games, as well as a very important FIBA Champions League match with Athens AEK. In the Latvian-Estonian games, one of the five legionaries must be set aside for each match. So far, the most productive was the sniper Jane Railie (average game 18.2 points), who repeated the league record in Liepaja a week ago, hitting nine long shots. Krister Zorik has an average of 12.7 points and 6.3 assists per match.
“Ogre” under the leadership of the new head coach Uldis Švēde has won in two games, improving the balance and positions in the table. Today, the opponents will have a stronger unit than the Tartu team (81:75) or “University of Latvia” (82:63). On average, Breilons Reisons (14.2) and Jānis Antrops (10.4) scored more than ten points in the game.
The match will also start at 5 pm, in which Valmiera Glass / Vidzeme University College will visit Parnu Sadam. You will be able to watch the match live on the portal “Delfi.ee”. The people of Valmiera have felt the taste of victory only in one of the six games, which gives the 11th place, but last year’s people with two successes in three dues are the fifth. A week ago, Valmiera basketball players lost to the leaders “Ventspils” only at the very end of the game (70:80). The most productive were Jānis Kaufmanis (14.3), Klāvs Dubults (11.2) and Ervīns Jonāts (10).
Pärnu team has played only three games. The victories were won over the Liepāja team (79:68) and “VEF Rīga” (95:92), but the debutants Hābnese “Viimsi” (74:82) lost in their field. One of the opponents is the Latvian defender Andris Misters, who scored 10.3 points on average in the match.
In the LIBL main tournament, the teams will play a two-round tournament until March 20. The top eight will compete in the quarter-finals, with the winners determined by the sum of two games. LIBL champions are expected to be determined in the final four tournament. The season will end with the elimination games of the Latvian and Estonian championships.
14 teams – six Latvian units – “VEF Rīga”, “Ogre”, “Ventspils”, “Valmiera Glass” / “Vidzeme University College”, “University of Latvia” and “Liepāja” participate in the LIBL championship in the season of 2021/22, as also eight Estonian teams – Tallinn Kalev / Cramo, Rapla Avis Utilitas, Parnu Sadam, University of Tartu / Maks & Moorits, Rakvere Tarvas, Tallinn Kalev, TalTech and Hābneses “Viimsi”.
