Basketball: Gulbenes Buki win in Valmiera, Jelgava beat Talsi

Two games were played in Latvia's National Basketball League tournament on 22 October. Gulbenes Buki won 95:78 away against the Valmiera team Bertanu Valmieras Basketbola skola (Bertanu VBS), and in Jelgava the home side Jelgava defeated Talsi 116:77. The win gave Gulbene its second victory in three games in the Eastern group of the standings.

Valmiera: Gulbene decides the game in the second half

The Valmiera team, coached by Normunds Lisiks, played its first game of this tournament, while other teams had already played four or five. The game took place in the Valmiera 5th Secondary School hall, where Valmiera/Rujiena once won the city's first bronze medals in the LBL championship. The opponents were Gulbenes Buki, the current silver medallists of the tournament.

Gulbene led by three points after the first quarter. In the second quarter Ritvars Nikolajevs scored 13 points in a short spell, and the visitors finished the half ahead 55:46. Before the end of the third quarter the lead reached 17 points, but three-pointers from Rihards Cernevskis and Ralfs Murnieks cut the gap to 65:76. Janis Kaufmanis, who works as a coach at Bertanu Valmieras Basketbola skola, hit the decisive long-range shot in the fourth quarter.

For the team coached by Raimonds Gabrans, Kristers Ikusts was the top performer with 26 points and ten rebounds, and Nikolajevs added 18 points and 13 rebounds. Janis Engers returned after a muscle injury with 13 points. For Valmiera, Murnieks scored 21 points and Markuss Toms 18.

Jelgava: the final quarter decides it

In Jelgava the hosts built a 16-point lead in the first quarter, but Talsi cut the gap to 50:60 in the second. In the final quarter Jelgava scored 39 points to the visitors' 12.

Jelgava's top scorer was Olympic champion Edgars Krumins with 23 points, and Uldis Feldmanis scored 17. For Talsi, Markuss Akmenlauks scored 17 points.