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Baltic League 2008-2009 - Men Basketball
 Lietuvos rytas won Baltic League 2008-09 (Photo: Lietuvos rytas)
 Sakalai won Challenge Cup 2009
Sakalai claim Challenge Cup crown - Apr 11, 2009 
Sakalai - VEF Riga 84:77 Sakalai have edged closer to the spot in the Elite Division after they celebrated the victory in the Challenge Cup Final Four. Today Sakalai defeated VEF Riga in the championship game to clinch the trophy. Sakalai got the right to take on Nevezis in the battle for the place in Elite Division. Evgeniy Kolesnikov (195-G-85) opened the game with 5 points in a row to set VEF Riga ahead. The Latvian team maintained the lead throughout the opening frame as Evgeniy Kolesnikov accounted for 13 points. VEF Riga earned a 28:25 advantage after ten minutes of action. Arvydas Siksnius (196-F-87, college: Weatherford JC) fired from downtown to draw things level at 30 early in the second frame. Arvydas Siksnius drained another trey just moments later and Rolandas Matulis (199-C-73) followed with a long bomb of his own to give Sakalai a 38:33 lead. Jurijs Aleksejevs (204-C-85) netted 7 consecutive points for VEF Riga as the visitors denied the deficit. Aleksejevs and Cooper capped the first half with 4 points as VEF Riga earned a 46:42 advantage. The Latvian team exploded with four consecutive trebles early in the third stanza to take a 58:50 lead. Strazdauskas and Labuckas answered with 6 points for Sakalai as they stayed within striking distance. VEF Riga led by a single point with a quarter remaining 62:61. The teams exchanged the baskets early in the final stanza before Sakalai unleashed a 10:0 run that featured 5 points from Samenas. Grigori Shukhovtsov (211-C-83) and Arvydas Siksnius stretched the margin at 6 points with 20 seconds remaining. Jurijs Aleksejevs missed a three-pointer and Samenas sealed the deal from the stripe. Vytautas Sarakauskas (204-C-82) and Arvydas Siksnius scored 14 points apiece to lead Sakalai. Rokas Uzas (202-F-88) provided 11 points for the winners. Evgeniy Kolesnikov was impressive with game-high 28 points for VEF Riga. Jurijs Aleksejevs delivered 19 points and 5 boards in the loss. Sakalai: Vytautas Sarakauskas 14, Arvydas Siksnius 14, Rokas Uzas 11 VEF Riga: Evgeniy Kolesnikov 28, Jurijs Aleksejevs 19 SEB BBL: Rytas is the champion! - Apr 26, 2009
Lietuvos rytas is the first three-time SEB BBL champion after beating
Zalgiris 97:74 (52:49) in the final, held in Tartu.23 points is the biggest ever winning margin in SEB BBL finals history. Chuck Eidson (201-F-80, agency: Court Side, college: S.Carolina) scored 41 points his career high in SEB BBL and also the best ever individual performance in BBL finals history. Eidson also had 8 rebounds and dished 8 assists. His shooting percentage was awesome 80 per cent - 16/20! Unsurprisingly, Eidson was named the MVP of the final game. Mindaugas Lukauskis (198-G-79) added 14 and Marijonas Petravicius (208-F/C-79, college: S.Carolina) 13 points. Dainius Salenga (197-F-77) led Zalgiris with 26 points, Paulius Jankunas (203-F-84, agency: Interperformances) added 11 and Eurelijus Zukauskas 10 points. After the game, Chuck Eidson was asked, is it possible to play basketball better than he did today. The MVP checked the scoresheet and said: 'Well-well...two turnovers, four missed shots. I think, it is possible to play better.' Then again, he admitted that it was his best performance ever, considering the importance of the game. Eidson said that for most of his 41 points, Marijonas Petravicius is the one to be blamed: 'Marijonas is a beast. He is my right hand. Without him under the basket i couldn't have made even half of my shots.' Rytas made 61% of two-pointers, 10/20 of three-pointers and only 8 turnovers. Zalgiris had quite disappointing shooting percentage - 42% of two-point shots. The winners' head coach, olympic champion Rimas Kurtinaitis was very happy with the way his team performed in defence. 'We were perfect in defence. Very aggressive. And also very fast in offence. We stole the ball and made many fast breaks.' Commenting Eidson's performance, Kurtinaitis said: 'We used the same offensive set throughout the game. I can't tell you why Zalgiris could not find the way to understand it and stop us. Then again, if someone thinks he knows how to stop us, I'd like to see it.' The fate of the game was decided in the 3rd quarter when Rytas outscored their opponents 22:6. Until then, the game was even and extremely high-level. For example, both teams combined 14/24 three-pointers in first half. Zalgiris started the game with a storm, going ahead 8:2 and 21:11 as Salenga had 9 pts, already. Then, Chuck Eidson took the initiative, scored 9 in a row and Rytas went ahead 26:25. In 2nd quarter, Mindaugas Lukauskis was unstoppable, scoring 11 points.With two minutes left in first half, Rytas led 48:43 - Eidson and Lukauskis had combined unbelievable 40 points, already. After the intermission, the black and red wall was built under the basket of Rytas and in nine minutes, Rytas allowed the opponents to make only two shots, outscoring the Greens 20:4 and going ahead 72:53. Zalgiris made 2/15 shots and 4 turnovers during that decisive period of the game. The 4th quarter was a matter of formality as Rytas did not give any chances of coming back to the game to the opponents.  Lietuvos Rytas won 1st edition of President Cup President Cup. Finals - Sep 28, 2008 FINAL Lietuvos Rytas- Barons 80:78 Lietuvos Rytas lifts the President Cup as in the Final game the team overcame Barons 80:78. Thanks to the latter that gave such a battle to the titan of the Baltic basketball. Steponas Babrauskas (196-G/F-84) made a lay-up in the last minute to bring the victory for the Lithuanian team. Martynas Gecevicius (193-G-88) led the winners with 19 points. Michailas Anisimovas (214-C-84) posted 18, while Branko Milisavljevic (193-G-76, agency: Beo Basket) nailed 15. Bright finished the night with 17 points in the losing effort. Lietuvos Rytas easily opened the game and won the opening tip with 13-3. Barons had seven team fouls when four minutes left to play in the first quarter. Hennings lay-up made the result 21:11, while Rytas won the opening quarter 28:20. In the second period Cukinas made a jump-shot for Barons, Rytas missed their shot and Berzins added one more three-pointer for Barons. Then Bright continued Barons offence from the three-point line and the score is already 35:37 for the Latvian side. The teams went to the lockers with 50:45 for Rytas. In the third period Barons spurted again to catch up with the opponents. Martins Kravcenko (192-G-85, agency: Interperformances) nailed two in the end of the period for 64:61. Effective slam dunk by Henning in the last second of the quarter received tremendous applause by spectators, 64:63. Both teams went back-to-back in the last frame and only in the last seconds the Lithuanian team grabbed the win. Steponas Babrauskas made a lay-up for 80:78 to close the game. Barons: Bright 17, Giedrius Gustas (190-G-80, agency: Interperformances) 9, Martins Kravcenko 5 Lietuvos Rytas: Martynas Gecevicius 19, Michailas Anisimovas 18, Branko Milisavljevic 15, Sinica 9, Steponas Babrauskas 8 Game for the third place Zalgiris - TU/Rock 73:72 Zalgiris clinched the third spot at the Presidents Cup today. The Lithuanian champions narrowly defeated Estonian TU/Rock to bounce back after the semifinal loss to Lietuvos Rytas. TU/Rock jumped to an early 9:2 lead as Giorgi Tsintsadze (192-G-86) buried 5 points. However Ratko Varda (216-C/F-79) and Marcus Brown (193-G-74, agency: Higher Vision Sports, college: Murray St.) dragged Zalgiris back in contest. The Lithuanian team trailed by 5 points at the end of the first period. Tanoka Beard (205-F/C-71, agency: Arik Krayn Services, college: Boise St.) and Asko Paade (206-F-84) extended the margin to 9 points at the beginning of the second term. TU/Rock later used a 6:0 rally to enjoy a 13-point advantage midway through the period. TU/Rock maintained the pressure and ensured a 43:35 lead at halftime. Zalgiris came back to life early in the third quarter. They went on an 8:0 surge to shave the deficit to 3 points. Later six points from Paulius Jankunas (203-F-84, agency: Interperformances) allowed Zalgiris to draw things level at 51. Kullamae and Talts put TU/Rock back in charge as they headed into the fourth term up by a single point 57:56. Paulius Jankunas and Ratko Varda scored 6 points and Zalgiris spurred in front. The teams traded baskets throughout the final quarter and Deane set Zalgiris ahead 73:70 with 49 seconds remaining. Asko Paade cut the deficit back to minimal with a jumper. Loren Woods (213-C-78, agency: Arik Krayn Services, college: Arizona) lost the ball but Giorgi Tsintsadze missed a potential go-ahead jump shot and Zalgiris secured the winning outcome. Marcus Brown finished with 15 points for Zalgiris. Ratko Varda added 13 points, while Paulius Jankunas had 11 points in the win. Tanoka Beard replied with 19 points and 7 rebounds for TU/Rock. Giorgi Tsintsadze contributed 15 points and 8 rebounds in defeat. Zalgiris: Marcus Brown 15, Ratko Varda 13, Paulius Jankunas 11 TU/Rock: Tanoka Beard 19, Giorgi Tsintsadze 15 |
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Kurtinaitis
Zabarauskas
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