BK “Jelgava” Acknowledges Dominance of ”VEF Rīga” in Užava cup Clash
BK Jelgava concluded thier Užava Cup journey after facing off against the formidable Latvian champions, VEF Rīga, in a two-game series.
In the quarter-finals of the Užava Cup, BK “Jelgava” squared off against VEF Rīga, a team renowned for its dominance in Latvian basketball. The first match, held at the Jelgava sports hall, drew a packed crowd. Despite the enthusiastic support from fans, BK “Jelgava” struggled in the second half, ultimately falling short with a final score of 51:101. Kristaps Pļavnieks led the scoring with 13 points, closely followed by Armands Gunters, who contributed 12 points. The second game,played in Riga,saw a slightly improved performance from BK “Jelgava,” but they still succumbed to VEF Rīga with a score of 65:79.Armands Senkans emerged as the top scorer for BK “Jelgava” in this match, netting 12 points, while Armands Gunters, Andrejs Šeļakovs, and kristaps Pļavnieks each added 10 points to the tally.
“These were two highly competitive and instructive matches against the top-tier basketball team in Latvia,” remarked BK “Jelgava” head coach Česlavs Mateikovičs. “We showed promise in the early stages of both games, but VEF Rīga’s ability to sustain and even elevate their pace in the latter halves underscored their superiority. We are immensely grateful to our supporters for their unwavering encouragement. The energy in the arena, especially during the first game, was electrifying. These encounters have undoubtedly sharpened our readiness for the upcoming derby against BK ‘Kandava/Turība’ this Friday and for the remainder of the season.” It’s worth noting that prior to the tournament, Coach Mateikovičs aimed to bring one of the Latvian-Estonian league teams to Jelgava, a goal that was successfully achieved thanks to the tournament draw.
BK “Jelgava” entered the Užava Cup in the second round, securing a victory against “Salaspils Sporta skola/API Mobile” to advance to the quarter-finals. Despite their elimination after two hard-fought games against VEF Rīga, the experience gained is invaluable. VEF Rīga, conversely, continues their quest for the title in the semi-finals, with the Užava Cup final set to take place on February 15.
