Latvia upset Croatia 85-77 tonight in Seville to get off to a flying start at EuroBasket 2007.

Armands Skele led five players in double-figures with 17 points but captain Aigars Vitols, who only had eight, made his baskets when it mattered most for the Baltic side.

Leading by just two points with 6:26 to go in the third quarter Vitols - who did not start in the game - buried a three-pointer to make it 46-41.

He then struck immediately on defense, knocking away a Davor Kus pass and chasing the ball down before following up his own missed lay-up for a 48-41 advantage – Latvia's biggest of the game to that point.

They would go on to score 10 consecutive points to take a 53-41 lead.

Early in the fourth quarter, Vitols came up big again.

		Kasun's team-high 18 points weren't enough

After a Roko-Leni Ukic jumper trimmed the deficit to 60-57 for Croatia, and Skele turned the ball over for Latvia, center Mario Kasun was whistled for a charge.

Vitols went to the other end and promptly hit a three-pointer to trigger and 8-0 run.

Croatia never recovered.

“That’s why he’s (Vitols) our captain,” said Latvia center Andris Biedrins. “He does everything. He’s ready when he comes off the bench.”

Latvia were incredible shooting the ball from three-point range, making 11 of 18 attempts for a sizzling 61%.

But Biedrins said it was another aspect of their game that propelled them to triumph.

“Everyone played great,” he said. “The main thing was our defense. I think that’s why we won because we had a really, really great defense.”

Croatia shot just 44% (26 of 59) from the floor, including a woeful eight of 32 (25%) from beyond the arc.

“We had bad defense, and shot selection and that helped them win the game,” said Croatia coach Jasmin Repesa. “But they deserved to win 100%.”

“It’s a terrible loss,” Ukic said. “We have to stay together one more time together and try and beat Portugal.

“Our first goal now is to get to the second phase. It will now be much harder. We can’t hang our heads. We have to fight.”