Ventspils takes sixth Championship title

  • 2005-05-25
  • By Jody Yurkowsky
RIGA - Ventspils Basketball Club is a team with a lot to show for its efforts. Beating the Barons/LU soundly by a score of 97-70 on May 22, the Ventspils team took the top spot in the Latvian Basketball Championships for the sixth straight year.

An unbeaten season and wins in six play-off games were some of the highlights for a team that has stood above the pack all year and shows no sign of changing this approach in the future. Ventspils head coach Karlis Muiznieks was candid about his team's abilities and this year's accomplishment. "We were very well prepared for the final series and are pleased with winning the championship. Many players with good potential have emerged in the Latvian Basketball League, which means more excitement in the future, and this will also make things more interesting for spectators. This season Ventspils was the strongest," he told the Baltic News Service.

In other play, Valmieras Piens won their game against Bumerangs/ASK from Gulbene by a score of 92-82 to round out the top three in the tournament. Attributing Gulbene's loss to less experienced players and a generally shorter team, Bumerangs/ASK head coach Agris Galvanovskis was nevertheless happy about his team's performance this year.

"We are happy about the victory. We played the whole game under the basket, and therefore we won," said Varis Krumins, the head coach of Valmieras Piens.

Bumerangs/ASK head coach Agris Galvanovskis said that, in general, the team had done well this season, but did not have enough experience and tall players to beat Valmieras Piens.

Meanwhile, Livu Alus/Liepaja finished the Latvian championship in fifth place.