Latvian basketball team crushes Austria to advance in World Cup qualifiers
Latvia's men's basketball team defeated Austria 112-66 in Riga on Monday in the final first-round game of the 2027 FIBA World Cup qualifiers, securing a spot in the second round.
The Latvian men's basketball team achieved a dominant victory over Austria on Monday in Riga, winning 112-66 (22:22, 32:20, 30:9, 28:15) in the last game of the first stage of the 2027 FIBA World Cup qualifiers. With this win, Latvia advanced to the second round.
The first quarter ended in a 22-22 tie, but Latvia gradually took control. Early in the game, Artūrs Žagars suffered a cut lip after an elbow from Nordins Kapičs but returned to the court later and helped Latvia build a lead. By halftime, Latvia led 54-42.
In the second half, Latvia extended its advantage. Klāvs Čavars put the team up by 30 points late in the third quarter, and Mārtiņš Laksa surpassed a 40-point lead with a three-pointer early in the fourth. Roberts Blumbergs scored the 100th point for Latvia, and Artūrs Strautiņš later made a hook shot to make it 102-55, the largest lead of the game. Austria reduced the deficit slightly in the final minutes.
In the other Group F match, Poland beat the Netherlands 92-84 at home, finishing the first stage with a perfect 6-0 record. Latvia ended with three wins, the Netherlands with two, and Austria with one.
In the second round, the top three teams from Group F will join the top three from Group E. From this group of six, three teams will qualify for the World Cup in Qatar.
Latvia's roster included Roberts Blumbergs, Rolands Šmits, Artūrs Strautiņš, Klāvs Čavars, Rihards Lomažs, Mārtiņš Laksa, Mārcis Šteinbergs, Toms Skuja, Kristaps Ķilps, Toms Leimanis, Artūrs Žagars, and Kārlis Šiliņš.
