By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
In the final VTB League game before a two-week break, VEF Riga bounced back after a double-digit deficit and grabbed a narrow 85-83 road win against Avtodor Saratov.
Andrjs Grazulis led the winning side with 18 points while Mareks Mejeris scored 17 in addition to Baden Jaxen’s 16 points.
Two players were flirting with a double-double for Avtodor. Perrin Buford scored game-high 19 points along with eight rebounds while Anthony Ireland added 16 points and nine assists.
Riga held a 24-17 lead after ten minutes but the hosts quickly bounced back and went on the break with a 49-40 advantage. Avtodor went ahead by as much as a 15-point margin (55-40) but the guests came back and it was eventually a tie at 83 with 26 seconds left.
Riga’s Jabril Durham got fouled and made both free throws putting his squad ahead while in the following offense, Trae Golden missed a three-pointer for the win and Riga came out victorious.
Yesterday (14/11), Lokomotiv Kuban prevailed against Enisey on the road while Zenit beat Zielona Gora at home.
VEF improved to 2-7 while Avtodor holds a 2-5 record. CSKA and Khimki are at the top with 8-0 records while Tsmoki-Minsk is at the bottom with 1-6.
VTB weekly results and scorers:
Enisey – Lokomotiv Kuban 86-93 (Roberson 20 p. – McLean 20 p. 12 r.)
Zenit – Zielona Gora 83-71 (Scrubb 16 p. 8 a. – Savovic 17 p. 7 r.)
Saratov – VEF Riga 83-85 (Grazulis 18 p. – Buford 19 p. 8 r.)
Photo Credit: VEF Riga