Latvia U-20 basketball team crushes Georgia in second friendly

On Tuesday, the second friendly game between the Latvia and Georgia U-20 basketball teams took place in Riga, with the hosts securing a 97:59 victory. The quarter scores were 20:10, 22:11, 36:12, and 19:26, reflecting Latvia's superiority throughout the match.

The top scorer for Latvia was captain Rolands Šulcs with 23 points. Toms Talcis contributed 13 points and seven rebounds, while Markuss Graudiņš added 11 points and four assists. Emīls Mucenieks scored ten points. Verners Drava was close to a double-double with nine points and ten rebounds, and Artūrs Ozols recorded five points, 12 rebounds, and four assists.

For Georgia, Giorgi Cagareišvili led with 11 points and seven rebounds.

This was the second of two friendlies between these teams – on Monday, Latvia won 96:69. Previously, the Latvians defeated Estonia 89:53 in Riga and played two games against Lithuania, losing 91:92 and winning 93:82.

The Latvian U-20 team, led by head coach Ainars Zvirgzdiņš, has selected 17 candidates for the training camp to prepare for the European Championship, which starts on July 11 in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The preparation phase includes training in Riga, games against Estonia, Lithuania, Georgia, and Ukraine, as well as a tournament in Turkey.

Latvia will play in Division A of the U-20 European Championship after a seven-year break. They will start in Group B, facing Lithuania, Poland, and Serbia. In the round of 16, they will meet a team from Group A (Italy, Turkey, France, Germany). Winners will compete for medals, while losers will fight for 9th-16th place. The bottom three teams will lose their place in Division A.