Tallinn, Estonia – Rīgas Zeļļi kicked off their “Optibet” Latvian-Estonian Basketball League (LIBL) quarterfinal series Friday with an 83-69 road victory over Tallinas Kalev/Cramo. The win gives the Latvian club a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series.
Frankie Fidler led the Zeļļi with a dominant performance, scoring 26 points, grabbing six rebounds, dishing out four assists, and recording three steals. Roberts Bērziņš added 15 points, while Kristians Anigvs contributed 13 points and 11 rebounds. The Zeļļi will now look to close out the series on the road and advance to the semifinals.
Kalev/Cramo was led by Hugo Toms, who finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Latvian players on Kalev/Cramo, Anrijs Miška and Ilja Kurucs, added 10 points and 6 rebounds, and 4 points and 3 rebounds respectively, though both played less than 15 minutes.
This marks the beginning of the playoff stage for the top eight teams in the league, following a regular season where each team played a double round-robin schedule. The league, a combined competition of Latvian and Estonian clubs, first began in the 2019 season with 15 participating teams, with Ventspils claiming the inaugural championship. Last season saw VEF Rīga crowned champions.
The Zeļļi’s victory comes after a strong finish to the regular season, and represents a key first step in their pursuit of a championship. The team will require to maintain this level of play to overcome Kalev/Cramo and advance to the next round.
LIBL Quarterfinal Schedule
| Pair | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3* | Series |
| Tartu Ülikool Maks & Moorits (1.) – Transcom Parnu (8.) | March 20 | March 23 | March 24 | |
| VEF Rīga (2.) – Ventspils (7.) | 77:54 | March 22 | March 24 | 1-0 |
| VALMIERA GLASS VIA (3.) – TalTech (6.) | 105:80 | March 23 | March 25 | 1-0 |
| Kalev/Cramo (4.) – Rīgas Zeļļi (5.) | March 20 | March 22 | March 25 |
*if necessary
The winner of the Rīgas Zeļļi and Kalev/Cramo matchup will face either Tartu Universitāte/Maks & Moorits or Pērnavas Transcom in the semifinals. Tartu and Pērnavas began their series on March 20, with Tartu taking the first game 80-71.
The Zeļļi and Kalev/Cramo have a recent history, having split their regular season matchups. Rīgas Zeļļi secured a dominant 100-72 victory in Tallinn in October, but Kalev/Cramo responded with a 92-70 win in Riga in February. This history suggests a closely contested series is likely.
Elsewhere in the quarterfinals, VEF Rīga holds a 1-0 lead over Ventspils, and Valmiera Glass/Vidzemes Augstskola also secured a 1-0 advantage with a victory over Tallinas TalTech. The winners of these series will meet in the semifinals.
Teams such as Ogre, Viimsi, Liepāja, Keila, Latvijas Universitāte, and Keilas Coolbet did not qualify for the playoff tournament, concluding their participation in the league for this season.
Game 2 between Rīgas Zeļļi and Kalev/Cramo is scheduled for March 22nd. Fans can catch the action live on “Best4Sport TV” and “Sportacentrs.com”. The Zeļļi will be aiming to capitalize on their first-game momentum and secure their place in the semifinals.
What are your thoughts on Rīgas Zeļļi’s chances in the playoffs? Share your predictions in the comments below!
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