The Latvian U-20 men’s basketball team continued the European Championship (EC) Division B tournament with a victory in the second game on Sunday in Tbilisi.
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Latvian basketball players beat their peers from Ireland with a score of 72:59 (28:16, 17:17, 11:16, 16:10).
Toms Skuja forged Latvia’s victory with 16 points and ten assists, Ričards Daniels Vanags added 15 points and ten rebounds, while Krišs Helmanis scored 14 points.
Ireland was not saved from failure by Samuel Ola-Oluwa, who scored 18 points.
It has already been reported that in the first game, Latvia failed against Bulgaria, losing 64:72.
On Tuesday, Latvian basketball players will finish the C subgroup games with a match against Hungarians.
In the first stage, 19 teams will compete in four group tournaments. The two best teams of each group will qualify for the quarterfinals, the rest will continue the fight for ninth place. The teams of group C will meet one of the teams of group D (Serbia, Finland, Slovakia, Switzerland and Albania) in the quarter-finals.
Due to an injury, Fred Bagatski cannot help the team, Rody Macoha will prepare for the new season at the club in Spain, and Noah Williamson will participate in the training of the US university team.
Four years ago, Dāvis Choders worked as the assistant head coach of the U-16 team, but now he has his first experience as the head coach of the youth team.
The national teams held training camps in Riga and Rūjien. In two test matches, a draw was played with the Finnish U-20 national team (82:59 and 56:57), the reserve team of the national team was beaten (81:78), twice lost to the Lithuanian U-20 national team (86:106 and 61:79), once – for the Estonian U-20 team (69:74).
The winners of the first three places will receive a ticket to the A division, but if in the A division 14.-16. the host country of the 2023 European U-20 Championship, the Greek national team, will take the place, only the winners of the first two places will move from the B division to the A division.
Latvian U-20 men’s basketball national team for participation in the European Championship:
Toms Skuja (Santantoni “Ibiza Feeling”, Spain), Valters Briedis (“University of Latvia”), Richard Daniels Vanags (Raplas “Avis Utilitas, Estonia), Kristians Schulcs (“Ventspils”), Kristians Feierberg (Maine “Black Bears”, USA), Kriss Helmanis (Badalonas “Joventut”, Spain), Markus Kudryavcevs (“VEF” basketball academy in Valka), Gustavs Jakubauskis (Liepaja), Nils Baumeister (RSU), Richard Klanskis (Taranto, Italy), Raivo Butirins (“VEF Riga”), Rihards Aleksandrovs (“University of Latvia”).
