Valmiera Glass ViA opened the fourth European North Basketball league`s season with a home win against newcomers Spišski Rytieri, 93-69, and improved their all time record to 1-19 on Tuesday, September 17, at the Vidzeme Olympic Center in northern Latvia.
Players of the game
Power forward Kahliel Spear spearheaded Valmiera attack in the first quarter.
A former Bucknell and Robert Morris University standout scorched the net from all positions and scored nine points in less than six minutes.
Spear finished the game with 22 points on 9/14 shooting from the field and was named VPlab Player of the Game.
Spear`s cousin, Nia Coffey, plays in the Women`s National basketball association.
Verners Kohs was almost flawless in his first official game with Valmiera.
Sharpshooter had 21 points on 4/5 shooting from the field and a perfect 10/10 from the three point line.
Artis Ate, a Latvian champion and a former VEF Rīga captain, chipped in with 13 points.
Juraj Palenik led the visitors with 20 points.
Dwayne Cohill Junior added 14 points on 5/8 shooting from the field.
Youngstown State standout forced six fouls.
Key stats
Valmiera jumped in front for a 14 points lead in the starting minutes, 20-6.
Eleven points by Juraj Palenik, including three shots from the deep, cooled off the red hot hosts, 23-19.
Spišski Rytieri tied the game at 28.
Valmiera forwards didn`t missed from the three point line – Artis Ate and Verners Kohs went 4-of-4 in the first 15 minutes – and regained a seven points line for their team, 39-32.
Kahliel Spear shined again and regained the double digits lead for the hosts after a one handed slam late in the first half, 47-36.
Dibaji Walker received an unsportsmanlike foul, Verners Kohs made both free throws and Valmiera finished the 20 minutes with a 51-38 lead.
Valmiera controlled the third quarter – except the last minutes – and led by as much as 14 points, 63-49.
Spišski Rytieri went on a 4-13 run.
Back-to-back three pointers by Dwayne Cohill and Viktor Juriček cut the gap to five points, 67-62.
Valmiera started the fourth quarter with a 10-2 run, finished by Spear`s two handed slam, 77-64.
Artis Ate three pointer extended the lead up to 19 points, 86-67, with 02:20 to go.
Game notes
Almost 1000 people attended season opener – a big number in a city of 20 000 people.
The ENBL trophy, designed by Armands Jēkabsons, greeted every visitor at the main entrance.
Glass Man – a new mascot of the team – entered the floor with his team of cheerleaders.
Youngest fans, cheerleaders and Glass Man shared high fives with Valmiera players.
Slovakia and Latvia national anthems were played after the team entrance, followed by a local anthem – Valmiera stands above everything – Stāv pāri visam Valmiera.
Valmiera Glass ViA president Ģirts Vēveris turned on The Siren before the tipoff.
Nikolajs Mazurs and his men are 1-0 in the ENBL.
Valmiera will play at Spartak Pleven on September 25.
ENBL access: follow the game on YouTube live stream
Group A
Valmiera Glass ViA 1-0, +24
Spišski Rytieri 0-1, -24
BK Opava
CSO Voluntari
Donar Groningen
Dziki Warszawa
Newcastle Eagles
Spartak Pleven
Tartu Ulikool Maks&Moorits
Group B
Bakken Bears
Bamberg Baskets
Basket Brno
Bristol Flyers
Dinamo Bucharest
Fyllingen Lions
Inter Bratislava
Keila Coolbet
Legia Warszawa
Format
Four best teams from each group will qualify for the playoffs (A1-B4, A2-B3, A3-B2, A4-B1).
The 2025 playoffs – home and away, best-of-two series – will take place from February 8 until March 21.
The 2025 Final Four will take place on April 8-9.
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