Women's basketball: Latvia vs. Russia

This was supposed to be a tight affair and although the basketball quality varied quite dramatically throughout the game, it ended up leaving up to its expectations.

The game was actually the tale of two women - both Latvians - and a team - the Russian one.
- The Latvians have Anete Jekabsone-Zogota has their key star, who had just scored 34 points agains the Russians a couple of weeks back in a Latvian win. Anete had, what can only be considered, a non-game... she scored 7 points with her first field goal coming in the last minute of the game!!! She was 1 from 12 in field goals and even in free-throws with a poor 63%. She compensated with 6 assists, but was never there. Why did this happen? The Russians put tremendous pressure on her at the beginning of the game and then she just imploded by herself. I hope she will came back.

- Yet the game was close, so another Latvian took the baton. Her name is Liene Jansone who scored 24 points with 53% in field goals, 50% on 2 points and an amazing 57% on 3 points with 4 converted. The problem was Jansone missed the critical shots at the end, allowing the Russians to claw back from behind most of the late 2nd quarter, 3rd and even 4th quarter.

- The Russian team was truly amazing and fought throughout the game, and even more strongly in the last quarter, to show that Basketball is still a team sport (a bit like the Argentineans and the Spaniards have been showing the US dream team and others in male basketball). Ilona Korstin and Tatiana Shchegoleva both finished with 13 points, with the latter having gotten 12 rebounds. The "American" Becky Hammon did well with 11 points and some crucial 3 points (3 converted out of 5) throughout the game. That said, clearly not fully part of the team yet with some difficulties in connecting with her colleagues at times.

Well and the final result was 62-57.