Latvia's U-16 basketball team beats Czechia, tops group stage
Latvia's U-16 men's basketball team secured its third straight win at the European Championship in Romania on Sunday, defeating Czechia and finishing group B with a perfect 3-0 record.
Latvia's U-16 men's national basketball team claimed its third consecutive victory at the European Championship in Romania on Sunday, beating Czechia 95:80 in their final group-stage match. The quarters were split 20:20, 36:21, 19:19, 20:20.
Bendžamins Jānis Beruē led Latvia's scoring with 33 points and pulled down 22 rebounds. Markuss Jahovičs added 21 points, while Matīss Preimanis contributed ten. For Czechia, Jans Kopeckis scored 19 points and Matejs Snobls added 18.
Perfect group campaign
On Friday, the Latvian youth squad defeated Italy 82:70, and on Saturday they beat Turkey 88:63. With three wins from three games, Latvia finished first in Group B.
On Tuesday, Latvia will face Serbia in the round of 16. Serbia lost all three of its Group A matches and finished fourth in that group. The winner of the Latvia-Serbia clash will continue competing for medals, while the loser will play for places 9-16. Teams finishing among the tournament's last three spots risk relegation from Division A.
Preparation period
Ahead of the championship, Latvia suffered three defeats at a mid-July warm-up tournament in Istanbul, losing to Turkey, Germany, and Greece in overtime. In late July in Riga, Latvia split a two-game series against Israel's youth team. At the Baltic Cup, Latvia defeated both Estonia and Lithuania but lost to Spain.
The team is led by head coach Edijs Šlesers, assisted by Gunārs Gailītis and Sandis Poga. The European Championship in Oradea continues through August 15.
