Photo: Keila Coolbet
Last week of November arrives with two games – Estonian teams will face their rivals from the BeNeLux countries. Keila Coolbet and Royal Basket Liège are trying to improve to 2-1. Landstede Hammers Zwolle and Tartu Ülikool Maks&Moorits both enter Tuesday`s clash with a 1-0 record.
Keila Coolbet and Royal Basket Liège
Series history: Keila Coolbet and Royal Basket Liège will face each other for the first time.
Key matchup: Kristen Kasemets set a new ENBL scoring record on November 21, after he dropped 39 points at Valmiera.
Shooting guard scored 20 or more points in another three games recently – against Latvian teams LU, Valmiera and Ventspils.
John Junior Avelon averages 18.5 points and 6.2 rebounds for Liège Basket.
He is excelling from the three point line, by making 46.4% of field goal attempts from the deep.
National championships: Keila Coolbet has a 4-2 record in November, including a 3-2 win and loss ratio at the Pafbet Estonia and Latvia league.
Half of those wins were registered against Valmiera Glass ViA – both on the road.
The Estonians are 2-1 on the home floor after wins over Latvijas Universitāte and Tartu.
Royal Liège Basket won last three games on the road at the BNXT league.
They outlasted Okapi Aalst (83-80), Kangoeroes Basket Mechelen (63-50) and Belfius Mons-Hainaut, 68-66.
Liège fell at the hands of CSO Voluntari, though, on November 15.
Know your referees
Crew chief: Ranno Konks (Estonia) – referee from 2009, has worked at the Pafbet Estonia and Latvia league from 2017.
Umpire 1: Gilis Pierre (Belgium) – FIBA referee from 2021, Belgium top division from 2017.
Umpire 2: Aleksei Mohov (Estonia) – referee at Estonian top division from 2011, has worked at many Estonian finals.
Observer: Mareks Voļskis (Latvia).
ENBL access: follow the game on YouTube live stream
Landstede Hammers Zwolle vs Tartu Ülikool Maks&Moorits
Series history: Landstede Hammers Zwolle and Tartu Ülikool Maks&Moorits will face each other for the first time.
Key matchup: Märt Rosenthal leads Tartu in several categories.
Shooting guard is the best scorer (18.0 points), passer (4.0 assists) and disrupter (1.8 steals).
Rosenthal has scored at least 22 points in five games.
Darius Quisenberry averages 14.3 points and 3.9 assists for Landstede Hammers.
Four of his teammates average 10 or more points per game.
National championships: Tartu has a 7-4 record at the Pafbet Estonia and Latvia league.
Gundars Vētra men posted eight consecutive wins from October 6 until November 12.
The winning streak ended on November 15 at Keila Coolbet, 73-80.
Tartu also dropped a home game against TalTech on November 24.
Landstede Hammers have won last three games at the BNXT league.
Zwolle team defended its home court on November 5 with a 84-58 success against Zeeuw&Zeeuw Feyenoord Basketball.
Hammers added two road wins at Yoast United (81-76) and Zeeuw&Zeeuw Feyenoord Basketball, 102-81.
Know your referees
Crew chief: Bert van Slooten (Netherlands) – Netherlands league from 2001, FIBA referee from 2005.
Umpire 1: Hendrik Laas (Estonia) – Estonian league from 2016, has worked at the 2023 Pafbet Estonia and Latvia league Final 4.
Umpire 2: Maurits Witvliet (Netherlands) – has worked at the Dutch BNXT league Finals in 2022 and 2023; has worked at the 2023 Dutch Cup final.
Observer: Oskars Lucis (Latvia).
ENBL access: follow the game on YouTube live stream https://www.youtube.com/@ENBLeague/streams