Kalev/Cramo snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in Estonia-Latvia league semifinal
Estonian team BC Kalev/Cramo went down to Riga Zelli 78:71 in the Optibet Estonian-Latvia League 2025 semi-final in front of a home crowd, despite being 18 points ahead earlier on and having in Severi Kaukiainen the top scorer of the match.
The result ends all hopes of an Estonian team making it to the final after Zelli won two out of the best-of-three matchup.
Kalev/Cramo beat Riga Zelli 87:80 at home last Wednesday, but then lost 93:87 in the Latvian capital on Saturday.
Zelli's composure in the final minutes of Tuesday's decider proved key, as the Latvian club turned a large deficit into a commanding finish after the hosts had made a great second quarter spurt in front of more than 1,000 spectators.
In the decisive moments, the Latvian club was clearly more confident, achieving a five-point lead two and a half minutes before the final whistle.
Kaukiainen's long shot brought Cramo within two points, but Davids Viksne coolly hit a three-pointer on the next attack, and Zelli secured a place in the Estonian-Latvian League final with a 78:71 victory.
The score by periods was (home team first): 21:24, 16:27, 20:10, 21:10.
Kriss Helmanis led the scoreboard for the winners with 17 points and eight rebounds, while three other players scored in double figures in the win.
Kaukiainen was the overall top scorer with 18 points, while Kregor Hermet and Stefan Vaaks each contributed 12 points.
Zelli, who finished third in the regular season, will now face top seed Riga VEF in the final, setting up an all-Latvian championship showdown.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte, Kristjan Kallaste
