#VALMIERA #GLASS #wins #victory #LBL #finals #nervous
Seneca Knight and Arthur the Archer | Photo: Andris Grīnbergs
“Valmiera Glass/Vidzeme University” (VALMIERA GLASS VIA) “Pafbet” won the second game of the Latvian Basketball League (LBL) quarter-final series tonight and tied the game 1-1 in the series up to three wins. Valmieriasi in the second match of the quarter-finals at home with 96:95 beat “Rīgas Zellius”, tying the score 1-1 in the series.
The game was a tight battle, but VALMIERA GLASS VIA made the first significant breakthrough in the third quarter, at one point reaching +10 (64:54). “Zeļļi” reduced the deficit very quickly and before the decisive 10 minutes were behind by only one point.
The fourth quarter also started evenly and in the middle of the quarter the score was still tied at 82:82, but the Valmierians were able to provoke violations several times, which allowed them to execute free throws. At the same time, the home team played excellent defense, and after Richard Greitan’s accurate shot 44 seconds before the end of regular time, VALMIERA GLASS VIA achieved +8 (93:85).
Although it seemed that the fate of the game had already been decided, Richard Vanags hit two long shots in a short period of time, including after the second accurate “three-pointer” Valmiers “gifted” the ball to the visitors, which was immediately used by Dāvids Vīksne – the advantage of the home team had shrunk to +1 (94 :93). After the requested time-out, VALMIERA GLASS VIA started to waste time, resulting in a foul against Kristofer Karlsson. The young defender coolly made both free throws and made it 96:93 in favor of the home team.
“Zeļlii” had 16 seconds left to save themselves, but the Riga team chose not to make a long shot, as Jordan Hunter scored two points from under the basket. Valmieri successfully played out after the basket, and Seneka Naits, in order to prevent “Zeļliai” from breaking the rules again, threw the ball in the air, as a result of which the game time ran out – VALMIERA GLASS VIA could celebrate the victory.
Seneca Knight led the home team with 28 points and nine rebounds, Kai Huntsbury added 21 points, and Christopher Carlson added 16 points. Jordan Hunter was the most productive player in Riga with 30 points, who also had eight steals, Aizija Osborns added 16 points, while Richards Daniels Vanags and Mārtiņš Meiers collected 14 points each.
In the first match, “Rīgas Zellļi” won at home with 87:65. As the quarter-final series goes up to three wins for one team, the next match is scheduled for April 15 in Riga, but if necessary, the remaining matches will be played on April 18 and 21.
Playing the first season in the club’s history, “Rīgas Zeļļi” finished the main tournament of the Latvian-Estonian Basketball League (LIBL) in sixth place with a record of 18-12 and lost to “VEF Rīga” 0-2 in the quarterfinals.
The Valmiera team collected nine victories in 30 matches in the LIBL regular season and ranked 13th, without entering the playoffs. The two teams have met five times this season, the only victory for the Valmier team was in the first game of the Latvian Cup quarter-final on the road (85:79).
In the second quarter-final, “Ogre” and “Liepāja” compete, with “Ogre” leading the series with 1-0. v”VEF Rīga” and “Ventspils” have already secured a place in the semi-finals.
