Started with 16:5, but lost: what prevented the Latvian national team from defeating Slovenia

The Latvian women's national basketball team was unable to build on their success after defeating Austria and suffered a loss in their second match of the EuroBasket 2027 qualifiers. On Saturday, November 14, Latvian basketball players lost to Slovenia away with a score of 64:70. According to the LETA agency, the Group K match took place in Ljubljana. The Latvians won the first quarter 18:11, but the hosts managed to turn the game around and maintained their lead at the end. EUROBASKET-2027 · GROUP K Latvia Slovenia 64 : 70 Team 1st2nd3rd4th Latvia 18151417 Slovenia 11251321 November 14, 2026 · Ljubljana ### A good start, but unable to maintain the lead The Latvian team opened the match with six unanswered points. Kitija Laksa scored four points, and Vanesa Jasa added two more. After a successful shot by Aleksa Gulbe, the Latvians' lead reached 11 points — 16:5. However, in the second quarter, the Slovenians seized the initiative. After five points from Jessica Shepard, the hosts took the lead for the first time — 31:28, and by halftime, they led 36:33. The Latvian basketball players continued to fight and equalized the score at 28 minutes — 47:47. In the final quarter, after a shot by Mila Luzgina, the team was once again ahead — 54:52. But the decisive stretch belonged to Slovenia. Zala Friskovec scored five consecutive points, giving the hosts a 59:56 lead, which they maintained and extended until the final buzzer. ### One three-pointer against nine One of the main differences between the teams was the effectiveness of long-range shots. The Latvians made only one of 19 three-point attempts. The only successful shot was made by Kitija Laksa, who attempted five shots from beyond the arc. In contrast, the Slovenian team made nine three-pointers out of 22 attempts. Zala Friskovec was particularly effective, making seven out of 14 long-range shots. Despite Latvia significantly out-rebounding their opponents — 49:38 — the advantage under the boards was not enough to compensate for the difference in shooting accuracy. ### Who scored the most points The top scorer for Latvia was Aleksa Gulbe, who scored 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Kitija Laksa finished the match with 14 points, Vanesa Jasa scored 11 points and had seven rebounds, while Laura Meldere added seven points and 11 rebounds. For Slovenia, Zala Friskovec stood out with 33 points and nine rebounds. Jessica Shepard scored 16 points and had eight rebounds. The match also marked the debut of Kristina Moora for Latvia — a basketball player of Latvian descent born in Australia. ### Next opponent — Italy After two matches, Latvia has one win and one loss. In the first match, the Latvians defeated Austria 81:66. Slovenia also has one win and one loss: earlier, the team lost to Italy 62:67. On Saturday, the Italian team secured their second victory, defeating Austria in Vienna 71:49. The next match for the Latvian basketball players will be on Tuesday, November 17, at home against Italy. The fight for a spot in the European Championship will continue in February 2027, when the return matches will take place. The two best teams from Group K will qualify for the final tournament. The EuroBasket itself will take place in June 2027. The group stage matches will be hosted by Belgium, Lithuania, Finland, and Sweden, while the decisive stage will be held in Vilnius, where six spots for the 2028 Olympic qualification will also be contested. For Latvia, the loss in Ljubljana does not mean the end of the fight for a spot in the European Championship, but the next match against the group leader Italy takes on special significance.