The 124 points scored is a season high. Before that, Utena’s Juventus scored the most points in the basket of the same Pasvali team.
Both teams started the match by working more productively in attack than in defense, and the Vilnius team was the first to take the lead – 16:8. “Rytas”, which was worth a lot of points, escaped with a double-digit difference only at the end of the half, when Gyčius Radzevičius excelled in a quick attack – 32:21.
In the second half, the visitors turned the difference into a crushing one and won 40:23 after not even eleven minutes of play. Later, the scoring machine of the capital’s team slowed down a bit, but went into the long break with a confident lead of 65:46.
“Rytas” started the third quarter better again – Margiris Normant and RJ Cole hit three-pointers, Javin DeLaurier loaded the ball hung by his compatriot (73:49). Deante Johnson, who stopped Mr. Normant extremely hard, earned an unsportsmanlike foul.
There was no intrigue in the last part of the match – J. DeLaurier scored the hundredth point of the Vilnius team six minutes before the game, and the club of Pasvalis never came close to this limit. At the end of the match, Simas Jarumbauskas and Oskaras Pleikys still sparkled, they were given a technical penalty each. It meant the end of the match for Ryto’s tall man, who received an unsportsmanlike foul a little earlier.
In the last minutes, for the first time in his career, Gant Križanauskas, a young man from “Ryto”, managed to achieve a double-digit score. Appearing only in the fourth quarter, the 18-year-old scored 12 points.
It was the last match of the season for the “Milk Stars”, who did not make it to the playoffs. The most positive aspect of the finish of the season for the Pasvalians was the exclusive outfits – the paraphernalia will later be sold at a charity auction.
Meanwhile, “Rytas”, which took the second place, is still waiting to find out its opponents in the quarterfinals – they could be Jonava’s “CBet” (11-19) or Mažeikiai’s “M Basket-Delamode” (11-18). Regardless of how the regular season ends, Rytas will begin its quarterfinal series at home on Monday, May 13.
The people of Vilnius are safe against the outsiders this season, having given up triple-digit results all three times to Pasvalis club alone – 106:90, 101:77 and 124:89.
Regardless of how the regular season ends, Rytas will begin its quarterfinal series at home on Monday, May 13.
“Milk stars”: Jordan Watson 26 (5 rebounds, 6/10 3-pointers), Sims Jarumbauskas (4 rebounds, 5 rebounds) and Kadeem Jack (5 rebounds) 17 each, Deante Johnson 10, Artis Ate 8, Tomas Lekūnas 7.
“Morning”: Gytis Radzevičius 17 (6 rebounds), Margiris Normantas 16 (2/6 3-pointers), RJ Cole (8 assists, 3/6 3-pointers) and Justin Gorham (5 rebounds, 5/ 5 double points) 14 each, Gantas Križanauskas 12, Marcus Foster 11, Javins DeLaurier 10 (4 rebounds, 5/6 double points), Gytis Masiulis 9 (4 assists), Martynas Echodas 8, Arnas Velička 7 (4 ref., 6 rez.), Lukas Uleckas 6 (4 ref.).
