Latvian U16 basketball team confidently defeats Israel in friendly match
Latvia's U16 men's basketball team convincingly beat Israel 80:62 in the first of two friendly games in Riga as they prepare for the European Cadet Championship.
The Latvian U16 men's national basketball team (born 2010/2011) continues its preparation for the European Cadet Championship, which starts on August 7 in Oradea, Romania. In Riga, the team is playing two friendly matches against Israel. In the first game, the Latvians showed a confident performance and secured an 80:62 victory (21:10, 37:26, 58:46).
Latvia took a 10-point lead early in the game, maintained it through the middle, and doubled it in the final quarter. Shooting statistics: two-pointers 17/40 (Israel 20/52), three-pointers 8/31 (opponents 4/21), free throws 22/34 (vs. 10/23). Top scorers for Latvia with 12 points each were Markuss Aleksandrovs (also 8 rebounds), Emīls Hauka (7 rebounds), and Markuss Jahovičs. Gustavs Vilcāns added 10 points and 8 rebounds. Ten of the 15 candidates played in the match.
After the first friendly, Edvards Freimanis, Emīls Dumpis, and Ralfs Valenieks are no longer continuing preparations. The candidate list has been expanded with power forward Ralfs Barlots, and Bendžamins Jānis Beruē has joined; he is expected to participate in the second game against Israel, which takes place tomorrow.
Following the friendlies, the Latvian U16 team will compete in the Baltic Cup in Riga from July 31 to August 2, facing Lithuania, Estonia, and Spain. After that, they will head to the European Championship in Oradea, where in Group B they will meet Italy (August 7), Turkey (August 8), and Czech Republic (August 9). In the round of 16, their opponent will be from Group A (Serbia, Lithuania, Poland, or Romania). Winners will continue fighting for medals, while losers will contest places 9–16; the last three teams will be relegated from Division A.
