Latvia Edges Estonia Behind Bench Spark
Olivers Krilkovs proved instrumental as Latvia edged Estonia 64-58 in a hard-fought FIBA U18 EuroBasket contest.
Within the continental tournament, Latvia ultimately prevailed after a gritty affair that saw the teams locked at 43-43 entering the final period. Latvia clinched the victory by outscoring Estonia 21-15 in the fourth quarter, a decisive run fuelled by their bench which contributed 31 points to Estonia's 14. Despite Estonia's rebounding advantage (41-30) and a strong double-double from Roman Avdejev (12 points, 11 rebounds, 3 blocks), their 20 turnovers proved costly.
Krilkovs, coming off the bench, chipped in with 8 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 steals, while Roberts Rotcenkovs added 11 points and 6 rebounds. For Estonia, Sten Adamson was the leading scorer with 21 points, but it wasn't enough to overcome Latvia's resilience. This win demonstrates Latvia's ability to grind out close games in the European championship.