Led by 15 points but barely missed the victory: how TTT Rīga defeated the Israeli club

The Riga women's basketball club TTT Rīga secured their second victory in the group stage of the FIBA Europe Cup, defeating the Israeli Elitzur from Ramla with a score of 80:75. The match took place on Wednesday, November 4, in Riga. Although the game was held in the Latvian capital, the Israeli team was formally considered the home team, according to the LETA agency. ### Confident start and tense finish The Riga team started the game with a noticeable advantage, winning the first quarter 26:13. In the second quarter, TTT Rīga maintained the initiative and increased their lead to 15 points by halftime — 49:34. However, after the break, the Israeli team gradually began to close the gap. Elitzur won the third quarter 23:19, and in the final quarter continued their attack. In the closing moments, the difference was reduced to five points, but the players of TTT Rīga managed to hold on to their lead and secure the victory. ### Griffin recorded a double-double The standout player for the Riga team was Obriya Griffin, who recorded 26 points, 12 rebounds, and two blocks. Three other players from TTT Rīga scored 14 points each — Laura Grunmane, Enija Kivite, and Ieva Pulvere. Pulvere also had eight rebounds and six assists. A notable event was the return of Ilze Jakobson to the court after a break in her career. She played just under three minutes in the game. The top scorer for Elitzur was Limari Thomas, who scored 28 points. ### Revenge for the loss two days earlier This victory was particularly important for the Riga team, as the teams had already met in Riga on Monday, November 2. At that time, TTT Rīga, playing as the home team, lost to the Israeli club with a score of 76:82. This time, the Latvian team managed to take revenge and equalize with Elitzur in the number of victories in Group F. ### What is the situation in the group? After the match, TTT Rīga and Elitzur each have two victories in four matches. Leading the group is the Italian Umana Reyer, which has won four out of five matches. The Romanian Universitatea Cluj has suffered three defeats. A total of 48 clubs participate in the main tournament of the FIBA Europe Cup, divided into 12 groups. The top two teams from each group, as well as the four best teams that finish in third place, will advance to the playoffs. TTT Rīga is competing in the main tournament of the Europe Cup for the fourth consecutive season. Last season, the team achieved two victories in six matches and failed to advance to the next round.