Rigas Zelli — Tortona: 86:84, EuroCup Basketball

Riga Zelli beat Torton 86-84 in a EuroCup match on Tuesday evening. The hosts held on grimly after a competitive contest where neither side could pull clear. It extended their unbeaten run to five games and left Torton searching for answers after a narrow defeat.

And here's the thing — we had called for the home side to win, and that came through. The confidence sat at 64 per cent, and the result backed the call. Riga Zelli didn't travel to make up the numbers, and they made it count.

Both teams shot well from distance. The hosts hit 12 three-pointers from 29 attempts, while Torton managed 10 from 25. The visitors won the rebound battle 37-32 and had more assists at 17 to 16, but turnovers told a different story — nine for Torton against six for the hosts.

Free throws separated the sides in the end. Riga Zelli converted 16 of 21 attempts, while Torton made 12 from 18. The hosts also kept their turnovers lower, which mattered when the game tightened. By then the margin was down to two points, and neither side gave an inch.

Torton came into the match on a mixed run, losing to Venice away and beating Verona at home. Riga Zelli had won their last two games against Tallinn and Keha Basket. The result keeps them in contention, while Torton now face a question about consistency in tight games.