The BioSil-WBBL Division B Final Four is set for Daugavpils, with Aistes-LSMU Kaunas aiming to complete their undefeated season.
Lithuanian teams Aistes-LSMU Kaunas (12-0) and Panevezys (9-3) secured the top two positions in the regular season, setting them up as favorites for the Final Four. They are joined by two Latvian teams: TTT Riga Juniors (8-4) and tournament hosts, Daugavpils University (7-5).
Only Daugavpils University had a challenging quarterfinal series, overcoming Latvia U16 with a 73-49 victory in the first leg, before losing the second leg 61-71. Ultimately, Daugavpils University progressed on aggregate score.
The undefeated regular-season champions, Aistes-LSMU, will face a stiff test in the semifinals against Daugavpils University, who will have the distinct advantage of playing in front of their home crowd.
"Our thoughts are simple: we want to win," said Aistes-LSMU head coach Andrius Vaicekauskas ahead of the trip to Latvia. "Perhaps the team deserves it a bit, but nerves could be a factor. Everything should be fine if we play as we have been recently. We have reached truly good form."
Aistes-LSMU's ambition was on full display in the first game of their Women's Lithuanian Basketball League (SmartWay-MLKL) quarterfinal series, where they defeated Siauliai-Vilmers 80-68 on the road. Following that game, Vaicekauskas stated that he had not seen his team play with such intensity and determination all season.
"Work, my thoughts, and ideas eventually reach the players' heads, and they start playing as they can. In fact, I think they can play even better," said Vaicekauskas with a smile.
Aistes-LSMU achieved their successes despite losing two key players during the season. Santa Okockyte left for abroad in mid-November, and Karolina Kazociunaite, a long-time member of the Kaunas club, moved to Siauliai in late February. However, this personnel change did not affect the team.
"I think the departure of these players has made the team even more united. Of course, they are missed, they are figures in women's basketball," commented Vaicekauskas. "But the remaining players have shown that they can win, even against Karolina and her current team, Siauliai-Vilmers. It's difficult when you lose players, but over the years of working in children's basketball, I'm used to simply working with what I have."
In the regular season, Aistes-LSMU defeated their upcoming semifinal opponents, Daugavpils University, on both occasions, though the games were contrasting. In their October 17th away game, Kaunas team, still featuring Okockyte, secured a hard-fought 70-60 victory. However, on February 13th, Aistes-LSMU dominated Daugavpils University at home, winning 97-68. The semifinal, however, will be played on the Daugavpils' home court.
"At that time, we still needed to integrate Santa into our game, and playing in Latvia is always difficult. At home, we offered them what I want - pressure, intense defense, so it was easier," recalled Aistes-LSMU's coach.
The other semifinal will feature Panevezys and TTT Riga Juniors. In the regular season, the Lithuanian team secured two narrow victories against the young Latvian squad, winning 85-79 in Riga on November 28th, and 77-72 at home on March 4th.
"I think Panevezys should win. Firstly, because they have a lot of experience (the team is led by experienced Gabriele Sulske and Kriste Timofejeva)," considered Vaicekauskas. "If everything ends as we want, we should have a Lithuanian final."
Aistes-LSMU also defeated Panevezys three times this season, including a game in the Lithuanian league. The first game, on October 13th, resulted in a 104-60 victory for the visitors in Panevezys. The second game, also in Panevezys, was won by Aistes-LSMU 84-66 on December 8th, while the team won a much closer match-up at home on December 12th by a score of 63-58. When asked why it has become more challenging to defeat Panevezys, Vaicekauskas once again mentioned the opponents' experience, which allows them to adapt better over time.
"They have experienced high-level players, but their rotation is smaller than ours. So, we try to take advantage of that," concluded Vaicekauskas.
The TTT Riga Juniores and Panevezys semifinal is scheduled for Saturday at 14:00, with the Aistes-LSMU and Daugavpils University game following at 17:00.
The Final Four action in Daugavpils will conclude on Sunday, with the third-place game tipping off at 13:00 and the final at 16:00.
Basketball fans can catch all the Final Four action on the official BioSil-WBBL YouTube channel. Games involving Latvian teams, featuring Latvian commentary, will also be broadcast live on Sportacentrs.com and TV4, while Lithuanian broadcasts with Lithuanian commentary will be available on lrt.lt.
