VEF Riga stay perfect at 7-0 after handing Valmiera their first defeat

VEF Riga's fast start keeps them top of the table at 7-0

VEF Riga's 97-89 win at Valmiera keeps them first in the Estonian-Latvian Basketball League at 7-0. Valmiera drop to 6-1 and sit third in the 15-team table.

Rigas Zelli, second at 6-0, also keep a clean record and stay close behind the leaders. Ventspils remain fourth on 5-2, one place behind Valmiera.

The form lines underline the shift at the top. VEF Riga's reads WWWWW, while Valmiera's now reads WWWWL after their first defeat of the season.

How VEF Riga won the game in the first half

VEF Riga won it in the first two quarters, taking the first 22-16 and the second 20-17. After the interval, the two sides were almost inseparable.

The third quarter finished 27-27, so Valmiera made no inroads straight after half-time. They edged the fourth 29-28, which was never enough to change the result.

This was a game shaped early rather than late. The final margin of 8 reflects the visitors' work before the break and their composure afterwards.

Why Valmiera could not catch VEF Riga

VEF Riga spread their scoring across the line-up while Valmiera relied on a smaller group. Skele, Rodriguez, Rogers, Asberry and Mejeris all reached double figures for the visitors.

Aigars Skele led them with 18 points and 6 assists, well above his season average of 8.5 points. Luis Rodriguez added 17, going 5/7 inside and 7/9 at the line.

Matt Rogers controlled the glass with 12 rebounds to go with 13 points and no turnovers. His PIR of 22 matched the best mark on the floor.

How Jake Heidbreder kept Valmiera in the game

Jake Heidbreder was Valmiera's most efficient player, scoring 21 points with 8 rebounds and no turnovers in 36 minutes. His PIR of 22 shared the game's top mark with Rogers.

He went 2/3 inside, 4/9 from three and 5/5 from the line. That steady output kept Valmiera within range while VEF Riga protected their early lead.

Bryce McBride scored 30, against a season average of 17, and went 9/9 at the line. His 7 turnovers, though, left his PIR at 15.

Aminu Mohammed, second in the league by TeamKeys Rating, added 9 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists. His scoring sat below his season average of 13.8.

Who VEF Riga and Valmiera play next

VEF Riga play Tartu Ulikool Maks&Moorits on 31 October, while Valmiera meet Parnu Sadam on 1 November. Both games come in the regular season of 2026/2027.

The leaders head to Tartu at 7-0, with Rigas Zelli still unbeaten at 6-0 behind them. Valmiera need a response at 6-1 to stay in touch with the top two.