Miracles Continue: estonia Stuns Slovenia, Latvia Falls to Netherlands in FIBA Qualifiers
Sargiūnos, lithuania – In a stunning upset mirroring a famed basketball moment from Lithuanian history, estonia defeated Slovenia in a tightly contested match, while Latvia suffered a home loss to the Netherlands in the latest round of FIBA World cup qualifying games. The Estonian victory evokes memories of Lithuania’s improbable win over the United States in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, frequently enough referred to as the “Sargiūnos style” win due to the small town were the lithuanian team prepared.
These qualifying results carry significant weight as nations vie for coveted spots in the 2024 Olympic Games. The outcomes directly impact seeding and advancement opportunities for these European basketball powerhouses, with implications for future international competition and national pride. Latvia’s defeat marks a challenging start for new head coach Sito Alonso,while Estonia‘s win provides a major boost to their qualifying campaign.
gregor Hrovat led Slovenia with 23 points (3/10 three-pointers, 5 fouls) but it wasn’t enough to prevent the upset.Latvia, playing on their home court, lost to the Netherlands 78-86. The Latvian team trailed by as many as 23 points (37-60) during the game, despite a late attempt to close the gap to 68-75.This was the first match under the direction of 49-year-old Spaniard Sito alonso, whose debut in Riga ended in defeat.
Elsewhere in qualifying action: Croatia defeated Cyprus 100-60, the Czech Republic overcame Sweden 97-80, Germany bested Israel 89-69, France triumphed over Belgium 79-63, and Poland defeated Austria 90-78.
