Latvian U16 team loses to Germany in Istanbul, Berue joins on July 23

Second Game in Istanbul

On Friday, July 17, the Latvian U16 basketball team played their second game in the preparation tournament held in Istanbul, losing 74-82 (12:19, 27:42, 51:65) to their German counterparts. This followed a 58-85 defeat against Turkey the previous day.

Game Stats

Latvia used five players who did not appear in the first game. The team outperformed Germany in three-point shooting (11/23 vs. 4/24) and free throws (19/28 vs. 8/11), but the Germans were significantly better from two-point range (31/54 vs. 11/32). Rebounding was even (39-40), but Latvia committed more turnovers (29-20).

Top scorers for Latvia: Markus Jahovičs and Juris Sičkars each scored 14 points (Sičkars also had 6 rebounds), Matīss Preimanis added 13, and Kristians Martinsons chipped in 11.

Coach's Remarks

Head coach Edijs Šlesers noted after the first game that the tournament is valuable for giving all candidates a chance to show themselves. He mentioned that some players experienced a culture shock facing the speed and aggression of international basketball, but emphasized there is no reason to panic, as the team has gone through similar processes in previous years.

Roster and Upcoming Plans

Of the 17 candidates, 15 traveled to Istanbul. Ralfs Valenieks is recovering from an injury, while Benjamin Berue will join the team on July 23. On Saturday, July 18, Latvia is scheduled to play against Greece.

Further preparation includes friendlies against Israel's U16 on July 24-25 in Riga, and participation in the Baltic Cup from July 31 to August 2 in Riga, facing Lithuania, Estonia, and Spain. The U16 European Championship will take place from August 7-16 in Oradea, Romania.