Ub, Raudondvaris Soar on Day One of FIBA 3x3 Ulaanbaatar Masters 2024

ULAANBAATAR (Mongolia) - Day one of the 2024 FIBA 3x3 Ulaanbaatar World Tour in Mongolia kicked off with a bang, thanks to the electrifying performances of Ub Huishan NE and Raudondvaris Hoptrans. Both Ub and Raudondvaris brought the heat as they swept their respective pools in this year's third World Tour event. Let's dive into the top stories from the tournament's opening day!

UNBEATEN UB

Ub swept Pool A, securing two wins to advance to the Quarter-Finals on Day Two. They opened their campaign with a hard-fought 21-18 win over Saitama Alphas EXE. Ub followed that up with a victory against a very competitive Utsunomiya BREX EXE, 21-17. Nemanja Barać and Marko Brankovic both shone brightly for Ub. It was the strong start to the tournament that Ub needed, especially as they looked a little inconsistent in the first two WT events of 2024.

RAUDONDVARIS RULES

Fresh of their WT win in Marseille, Raudondvaris Hoptrans continued to roll in Ulaanbaatar. The Lithuanians hardly missed a beat as they made quick work of Zavkhan SAINSCORE, 20-16, and Lausanne, 21-11, on Day One. They swept Pool B and look among the favorites heading into the Day Two Quarter-Finals. Aurelijus Pukelis was a tower of power for Raudondvaris, putting up 13 points and 9 rebounds over two games.

SANSAR SURVIVES

Sansar had one of the best games of the day when they pulled the rug from under heavy favourites Miami, 20-18, to start Pool C play. That put Miami in a precarious position before they bounced back against Beijing, 21-16. Sansar had a golden chance to sweep their group against Beijing, but they fell short, 21-18. Still, Sansar managed to survive and together with Miami, advance to the Quarter-Finals thanks to a superior point difference.

 

KANDAVA BREAK ULAANBAATAR HEARTS

Kandava Turiba were a new team entering the 2024 FIBA 3x3 World Tour, but they surely made their mark. The Latvian side opened Pool C play by rattling Amsterdam, 18-12, behind the hot hands of Kristaps Gluditis, who tallied 8 points. Gluditis, however, wasn't done yet. In the final Pool C game of the day, he led a furious rally by Kandava to come from behind and break Ulaanbaatar's hearts with a game-winning 2-pointer, 21-20.

 

SHARP-SHOOTERS

Aurelijus Pukelis (Raudondvaris), Bryce Wills (Miami), Raphael Wilson (Lausanne), and Arvin Slagter (Amsterdam) all advanced to the Final of the Shootout Contest. Pukelis made 8 buckets in the Qualification, while Wills and Wilson each had 7. Slagter, meanwhile, hit 6 points.

QUARTER-FINALS

Ub Huishan NE  vs. Amsterdam
Miami vs. Lausanne
Kandava Turiba vs.Utsunomiya BREX EXE
Raudondvaris Hoptrans vs. Sansar

DAY 2

The action in Ulaanbaatar wraps up tomorrow as we find out who leaves Mongolia as the victors. Tune in LIVE tomorrow to the finals!

 

FIBA