By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
Looking to avoid a 0-2 start in the final Qualification Round of the 2025 EuroBasket, Portugal got the job done. Ukraine rallied but instead fell to 0-2 in Group A.
Travante Williams breaking a 77-77 tie and solid defense on the last possession of the opponents shaped a 79-77 victory in Arena Riga on Sunday.
The 30-year-old small forward of BAXI Manresa was limited to 3/10 from the field in an eight-point effort but made it count with five points in the fourth quarter, including the last bucket of the tight contest. Lasting nearly 30 minutes in Gameday 2 of the Qualifiers, he also dished out a team-high five assists.
Nearing his career-high, Porto’s Miguel Queiroz produced 21 points behind 7/13 field goals. Six rebounds, one assist, and one steal added to a game-high efficiency rating of 21 in Riga.
Tucking in two of his four triples in the fourth quarter, Diogo Gameiro of Benfica finished with 12 points, three rebounds, and two assists over 16 minutes for the team coached by Mario Gomes.
Youngster Oleksandr Kovliar of Monbus Obradoiro posted a 17-point, 10-assist double-double in a losing effort for Vitaly Stepanovsky’s side. Andrii Voinalovych registered 12 of his 16 points after the break, fueling the comeback from a 19-point deficit.
Mostly in shooting distance or even tied throughout the fourth period, a total of 96 seconds with the lead fell short of a win in the capital of Latvia.
Postgame press conference
Photo Credit: FIBA.BASKETBALL