In the first games of the second round of the Latvian basketball Užava Cup, the basketball club “Ķekava” experienced a loss at home, while the Salaspils sports school celebrated a convincing victory. BK “Sigulda/Modern house” basketball players also achieved success in the National Basketball League, as well as Mārupe Sports Center and “Babīte” teams in the Regional Basketball League.
Salaspils sports school basketball players visited the “Jelgava” basketball club in the first game of the Latvian Cup and quickly achieved a solid 16:4 advantage. The hosts did not allow to increase it, and after the first half, only five points separated the rivals (45:40). In the second half, the difference remained within ten points for a longer time, until in the second half of the third quarter, Salaspilians made a 13-0 breakthrough (71:49) and protected a lead of about 20 points, which gives a sense of security before the rematch at home – 96:74.
For the guests, Jānis Antrops stood out with 22 points, Jānis Pozņaks – with 21 points and 14 rebounds, Kristiāns Armanovs – with 13 points.
The home game of the “Ķekava” basketball club against “Gulbenes Buki” went quite similarly. Three days after the 69:111 defeat in the National Basketball League match in Gulbene, the Kekavians played back an eight-point deficit in the middle of the first half (18:18 after 2:10) and lost only 37:43 after the first half (51:57 in the third quarter). However, from the middle of the second half, the Gulbenians completely took over the initiative and caused a heavy loss to the Kekavians, 65:96.
Alens Zubrickis with 15, Jānis Gertners with 13 and Nils Briška with 10 points were the top scorers for the home team.
In the national basketball league, the third victory in four games of the season was celebrated by BK “Sigulda/Modern house” basketball players, for whom the Latvian Cup competition ended already in the first round. Sigulda players started the away game against Bertāns Valmiera basketball school with 12 lost points in a row, but by the middle of the first half they had leveled the course of the fight. The decisive events took place at the end of the third quarter, when the guests achieved a 12-point advantage (46:34) with a 14-0 breakthrough and held a 4-7 point advantage the rest of the time – 89:84.
Didzis Malyševs scored 34 points for the winners, Nauris Bikovs 20 and Rihards Strauts 13 points.
In the regional basketball league, the “Babītes” team needed only four games (last year – 14) to repeat the winning norm (two) of the previous season. On Wednesday, against the BJBS “Rīga”/”Basketbola klase” youth team, Babīte’s basketball players managed a small breakthrough (22:13) in the middle of the first half, but their advantage did not exceed two accurate shots during almost the entire match. The end of the regular time was unexpected, when the attack of the people of Riga “stopped”, the guests scored ten points in a row and celebrated the victory 67:55.
Aigars Hermanis scored 24 points for the winners, Gints Artmanis and Nikita Molodovs scored ten each.
In the second duel between the teams of the basketball school “Rīga” and Mārupe district on Wednesday – BJBS “Rīga”/”Centrs” against the Mārupe sports center – no real fight took place. The Marupians were already in the lead 31:10 after the first quarter, 63:26 after the first half. Even after the long break, mostly using the reserve forces, the visitors continued to defeat their opponents – 132:54.
All ten Mārupes SC basketball players scored points, the most – Roberts Ciganskis (26), Markus Kiops (21) and Jēkabs Niedra (19). Marupians have three wins in five games.
