Valmiera Glass VIA Remains Undefeated, Secures First Place in Latvian-Estonian Basketball League
Valmiera Glass/Vidzeme University (VALMIERA GLASS VIA) continues its dominant run, defeating Keila Coolbet 97-80 on Thursday night and solidifying its position atop the “Optibet” Latvian-Estonian Basketball League (LIBL) standings. This victory marks the team’s seventh consecutive win this season, with five triumphs in the LIBL and two in the European Northern League (ENBL).
VALMIERA GLASS VIA established control early in the contest, maintaining the lead throughout. However, a comfortable margin wasn’t fully realized until the second half. The hosts initially led by nine points after the first quarter (24-15), and the gap widened to 15 at one point in the second. Despite Keila narrowing the deficit to eight points by halftime (44-36), VALMIERA GLASS VIA responded effectively.
The third quarter saw a closely contested battle, allowing Coolbet to briefly reduce the difference. However, a pivotal performance from Werner Koch shifted the momentum decisively. The VALMIERA GLASS VIA forward ignited with 13 consecutive points spanning the end of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth. This scoring burst propelled the team to a commanding 74-59 lead, effectively sealing the victory.
Koch finished as the leading scorer for VALMIERA GLASS VIA with 18 points. The team benefited from a balanced offensive effort, with Dominiks Steņonis contributing 15 points and five assists, Anivaniv Jones adding 12 points and seven rebounds, and Kristofer Karlsson recording six rebounds and five assists alongside 10 points. Omar Pajić and Rinald Malmanis also chipped in with 10 points each. Despite the loss, Izi Thompson led Keila Coolbet with 21 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists.
With a perfect 5-0 record, VALMIERA GLASS VIA currently holds first place in the tournament table, tied with Tartu who also boast a 5-0 record. Keila Coolbet, meanwhile, finds itself in 11th place with a 1-3 record.
In other league action, “Rīgas Zeļļi” dominated “Liepāja” with a resounding 109-71 victory while playing their home game in Saldu. Franky Fidler led Riga with an impressive 27 points and 11 rebounds, supported by Deniss Krestinins (14 points, 9 rebounds), Rodijs Macoha (10 points, 10 rebounds), and contributions from Toms Skuja, Roberts Bērziņš, and Dāvids Vīksne who each scored 11 points. For Liepāja, Xaviers Dusel scored 19 points, Edvard Egle added 12, and Helmut Petrovičs made his debut with 9 points. Rīgas Zeļļi now stand at 4-1, in third place, while Liepāja is ninth with two wins in five games.
Finally, “Ventspils” secured a 105-88 home win against “University of Latvia.” Artūrs Aušējs led Ventspils with 22 points, followed by Edvards Mežulis (16 points), Amands Urkis and Bryant Thomas (14 points each, with Thomas also grabbing eight rebounds), and Cameron Shelton (12 points, eight rebounds, six assists). The University of Latvia was led by Artūrs Kazaks with 20 points, Marlon Shortts (16 points, six rebounds), Francis Neilands (15 points, five rebounds), and Rūdis Donis (11 points, six rebounds).
