Latvia's U16 basketball team crushes Turkey with perfect early three-point streak
Latvia's U16 basketball team beat Turkey 88:63 at the European Championship group stage, opening the game by making eight consecutive three-pointers. The win kept Latvia atop Group B with two victories from two games.
Latvia's U16 national basketball team secured its second straight win at the European Championship, defeating Turkey 88:63 a day after Turkey had heavily beaten the Czech Republic.
Explosive start
In the first nine minutes, Latvia made all eight three-point attempts it took, along with nearly all two-point and free-throw attempts, building a 35:14 lead. Markuss Jahovičs led the long-range shooting with four made three-pointers, while team leader Bendžamins Beruē scored only four points in that stretch.
In the second quarter, Kristians Martinsons and Juris Sičkars added the team's ninth and tenth three-pointers. Late in the first half, Beruē extended the lead to 32 points, and the game ultimately ended in an 88:63 Latvian victory.
Top performers
Jahovičs and Beruē each scored 22 points for Latvia, with Beruē also recording 12 rebounds, five blocks and five assists. Sičkars added 13 points. After the strong start, Latvia's three-point shooting cooled over the rest of the game, finishing at 37% from beyond the arc compared to Turkey's 26%. Latvia also shot 67% on two-pointers and 65% from the free-throw line.
What's next
Latvia will close out the group stage tomorrow against the Czech Republic, who convincingly beat Italy on the tournament's second day. Group B teams will face Group A opponents — Lithuania, Serbia, Poland or Romania — in the round of 16. With two wins from two games, Latvia currently leads Group B.
