Valmiera Glass ViA went on a 11-0 run midway the fourth quarter to defeat impressive Newcastle Eagles, 87-84, and regain a top spot in Group A on Tuesday, December 10, at the Vidzeme Olympic Center in northern Latvia.
Players of the game
Starters did the heavy lifting for Valmiera Glass ViA.
Artis Ate scored nine of his 17 points in the fourth quarter.
Latvia national team wing hit two important three pointers for a 72-65 lead.
Ate had seven points and a steal during Valmiera`s 11-0 run midway the fourth quarter.
DaQuan Smith also made two three pointers and sank both free throws with less than 10 seconds remaining.
Radford point guard finished with 21 points on 7/16 shooting from the field, including superb 5/12 effort from the three point line.
Valmiera big men rocked too.
Kahliel Spear had 17 points, nine rebounds and four assists.
Rostislav Novitskyi posted 16 points, six rebounds and four assists.
Mike Okauru led all scorers with 26 points for Newcastle Eagles.
He went 9/17 from the field and a perfect 4/4 from the charity stripe.
Key stats
An unsportsmanlike foul was called for Mike Okauru with 08:11 left.
Initial damage was limited as Rostislav Novitskyi split free throws and ball possession ended with a turnover – and the Eagles increased their lead up to 61-65 after a steal by Josh Ward-Hibbert.
Valmiera replied with a 11-0 run capped by back-to-back three pointers from Artis Ate.
A former VEF Rīga captain gave a 72-65 lead for Valmiera.
Mike Okauru scored nine consecutive points to keep the Eagles in the game, 79-74.
Valmiera big men took over to score the next seven points for the home team, 85-79.
Eagles fought until the end.
Game notes
Valmiera Glass ViA improved to 5-1, while Newcastle Eagles dropped to 5-1.
Five teams in Group A may still finish with a 5-3 record (or better) so no playoff tickets are booked in this group yet.
Valmiera is very close to its first postseason trip, while Newcastle Eagles are eyeing back-to-back postseason appearances.
Nikolajs Mazurs and his men ended the Eagles 6-0 streak.
Seneca Knight won five consecutive ENBL games with his new team but lost against his old team.
ENBL access: follow the game on YouTube
STANDINGS, as of December 10, 2024
Group A
Valmiera Glass ViA 5-1, +62
Newcastle Eagles 5-1, +35
CSO Voluntari 4-1, +67
Dziki Warszawa 4-2, +48
BK Opava 3-2, -14
Donar Groningen 1-4, -9
Tartu Ulikool 1-4, -32
Spišski Rytieri 1-5, -103
Spartak Pleven 0-4, -54
Group B
Inter Bratislava 6-0, +25 Qualified
Legia Warszawa 4-1, +43
Bamberg Baskets 3-1, +46
Bakken Bears 3-2, +48
Basket Brno 1-2, -4
Dinamo Bucharest 1-3, -20
Keila Coolbet 1-3, -44
Bristol Flyers 1-4, -28
Fyllingen Lions 0-4, -66
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