VEF Riga will get a chance for revenge in the final of the ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT in Kaunas as it beat Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul 71-61 to clinch first place in Group B and a spot in the Kaunas title game against Zalgiris Kaunas. Zalgiris won the final against VEF Riga last winter 86-78 to reach the ANGT Finals in Milan. The winner of Sunday’s final will reach the Finals in Madrid and join Stellazzurra Basketball Academy Rome and Real Madrid, who won the qualifying tournaments in Rome and L’Hospitalet, respectively. Verners Kohs scored 19 points while Rodions Kurucs collected 14 points, six rebounds, two assists, five steals and two blocks as VEF Riga used an 11-0 fourth quarter run to go undefeated 3-0 in group play. Karlis Silins added 14 points and Zigmars Raimo chipped in 13 points and 10 rebounds. Fenerbahce dropped its first game of the tournament to finish second in the group at 2-1. Omer Yurtseven collected 20 points, 18 rebounds, two steals and four blocks in the loss while Ercan Bayrak had 14 points and Egehan Arna made just 1-of-10 three-pointers in scoring 12 points.

Silins opened the game with a dunk while Bayrak started Fenerbahce with a three-point play. Kurucs and Raimo gave VEF Riga a 6-3 lead but Arna scored a basket and a three-ball to pull Fenerbahce ahead 6-10. Silins and Raimo scored to knot the game at 10-10 and it remained a tight affair through the rest of the first quarter. Kurucs’ three to make it 13-12 was followed by three ties before Kohs’ three-ball gave VEF Riga a 20-17 lead after 10 minutes. Ahmet Duran’s free throw started the scoring in the second quarter but Kohs tallied five points to increase the lead to seven points – 25-18. Silins hit two shot to keep VEF Riga ahead 29-26. Efe Kayalar eventually pushed Fenerbahce back ahead 29-30. That was followed by two lead changes and the game was knotted at 34-34 after a Kohs long ball. Yurtseven and Arna both split two free throws down the stretch as Fenerbahce was up 34-36 at intermission.

Ugurcan Turunc’s free throws opened the second half and Dogancan Celik pushed the Fenerbahce lead to 34-40. After a Kristers Zorkis three-ball, Bayrak hit a shot and a three-pointer to extend the lead to eight points – 39-47. Eduards Hazners and Raimo stepped up with baskets before Raimo knocked down a trey made it 46-49. Hazners followed with back-to-back three-pointers to give VEF Riga a 52-50 lead. Bayrak put back an offensive rebound just before the buzzer to even the game at 52-52 after 30 minutes. Yurtseven and Arna scored to keep Fenerbahce ahead 54-56 but Kohs responded with back-to-back three-pointers to push VEF Riga ahead 60-56. While Fenerbahce failed to convert on six straight possessions – including two missed free throws by Arna – Kurucs threw down a dunk and converted the three-point play for a 65-56 lead – and a Fenerfahce time out – with four minutes to play. Yurtseven snapped the 4:50 minute scoreless stretch and added another basket to trim the deficit to 67-60. But Fenerbahce came up empty-handed on its next two possessions and Silins put back an offensive rebound to make it 69-60 with 1:53 minutes to play. Fenerbahce would not score the rest of the game and VEF Riga would book a return ticket to the final.