RSU basketball team crushes Ogre youth side in new arena's opening game
Coach Māris Gulbis's RSU team opened its new sports complex on Cigoriņu iela with a commanding 116:76 win over Ogre's youth team in the season's first match. Last season's champion squad took the court with a largely rebuilt lineup.
National League champion RSU began its new season on Friday, 25 September, with a decisive 116:76 victory over Ogre's youth team. The match marked the first official game at RSU's newly opened sports complex on Cigoriņu iela 3.
RSU's roster has changed almost entirely since last season, when the team won its historic first LBL 2nd division gold medals. Only four players remain from that championship squad — Alberts Putāns, Artūrs Ozols, Rihards Fortiņš and Rihards Rācenājs. Coach Māris Gulbis brought in several players from the Mārupe basketball system, along with point guard Ralfs Aleksandrovs, who joined from VEF Rīga's academy after playing in Gulbenes Buki's starting lineup last season.
Match progress
RSU built an early lead, pulling 15 points ahead of their opponents already in the first quarter. By halftime the gap had widened further, with the hosts leading 58:32. In the third quarter the students lost some momentum, allowing Artūrs Bērziņš's Ogre squad to win that period by a single point. In the final ten minutes, however, RSU regained control, closing out the game at 116:76.
Top scorers
Pauls Niedra led RSU's scoring with 18 points. Artūrs Kivlenieks added 15 points, while Roberts Ciganskis scored 17. Both Ronijs Jeromanovs and Alberts Putāns, who won an NBL gold medal with RSU last spring, contributed ten points each. For Ogre, Matīss Preimanis was the top scorer with 18 points, Luka Hlebovickis added 15 points and eight rebounds, and Emīls Hauka recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
