2024-07-07 22:24:32
Rihards Lomažs collected 20 points and five rebounds for the Latvian national team, Roland Šmits had 13 points and six rebounds, and Dāvis Bertāns scored 12 points, who slightly injured his ankle after a collision at the end of the third quarter, but was able to continue the match.
14 points and five rebounds were collected by Williams Naras, who was the only one to score double-digit points.
Latvians were more accurate in three-pointers (30%:11%) and free throws (83%:73%), while Cameroonians were more accurate in two-pointers (46%:43%).
The Latvian team also won the battle under the basket (43:40) and collected more assists (18:11).
Artūrs Žagars started the game with two accurate free throws, but after Fabien Ateba’s long shot, Cameroon won 7:4.
With seven points scored in a row, Latvia took the lead 11-7 after a two-point shot by Roland Šmit and kept the lead until the end of the quarter, twice achieving a seven-point advantage.
At the end of the quarter, the Cameroonians scored eight points in a row, regaining the lead after three accurate free throws – 24:23.
Rihards Lomažs regained the lead with a long shot (26:24), later Latvia achieved and kept a few points advantage, going into the break after an accurate two-point shot by Lomažs in the last second of the half – 38:35.
Lomaž scored 11 points in the half for the Latvian national team, while Viliams Naras had ten points and five rebounds for Cameroon.
In the 23rd minute, Jordan Baye equalized the score with one accurate free throw from two – 40:40, but the next eight points were scored by the home team, with Dāvis Bertāns and Marek Meyers scoring from a long shot – 48:40.
As a result, the Cameroonians got closer to two points, but at the turn of the third and fourth quarter, the Latvians responded with ten points scored in a row, reaching 62:50 after two accurate free throws by Artūrs Strautiņš.
The Cameroonians narrowed the score difference, getting closer to 59-65 after a two-point shot by Bryce Ejaga-Bidias, but the next five points were scored by the Latvians with free throws, reaching 70-59 with less than a minute left in the game after two accurate free throws by Lomaž.
Latvian basketball players started the tournament with a convincing victory over Georgia (83:55), but lost to the Philippines 80:89 in the second match. Despite the loss in the second game, Latvia took the first place in the subgroup, as it had the best difference between points lost and scored (+19).
On the other hand, Cameroon lost to Montenegro 66:70 and beat Brazil 77:74, finishing second in the group.
Latvia and Cameroon had not met each other until now.
It has already been reported that Brazil defeated the Philippines 71:60 in the second semi-final.
The winners of the semi-final matches will fight for the only ticket to Paris on Sunday.
Latvian basketball players defeated the Egyptian national team 84:63 in the two test games held in “Arena Riga”, but lost to Finland 84:90 in Tampere.
Lukas Banki is assisted by coaches Jānis Gailītis and Artūrs Visockis-Rubenis in Riga.
The composition of the Latvian national team for the qualification tournament of the Paris Olympic Games:
Rodions Kurucs (Murcia UCAM, Spain), Mareks Mejeris (Cluj-Napoca U-BT, Romania), Dāvis Bertāns (Charlotte Hornets, NBA), Dairis Bertāns (“VEF Riga”), Jānis Timma, Jānis Strēlnieks (both – “Obradoiro” of Santiago de Campos, Spain), Rolands Šmits (“Anadolu Efes” of Istanbul, Turkey), Artūrs Strautiņš (“Derthona” of Tortona, Italy), Klaavs Chavars (“Yokohama”, Japan), Rihards Lomažs (“Virtus” of Bologna) , Italy), Kristers Zorik (Izmir Petkimspor, Turkey), Artūrs Žagar (Vilnius Wolves, Lithuania).
Cameroon national team for the qualification tournament for the Paris Olympics:
Paul Ebois (Cremona “Vanoli”, Italy), Tamenang Cho (CSKA Sofia, Bulgaria), Samir Gbetkom (Antibes “Sharks”, France), Bryce Ejaga-Bidias (Pont-de-Cheruy, France), Arnold Comet ( “FAP”), Fabien Ateba (Saint-Vallier, France), Roland Njama (Giessen “46ers”, Germany), Roger Moutte A Bidias (Sant-Chamond, France), Jordan Bayeux (Brindisi, Italy ), Abdurahid Techeng (Fordham University, NCAA), Williams Naras (Le Mans, France), Jeremy Hill (Runa, Russia).
2024-07-07 22:24:32