NKL Round 6 (Regular Season): Suduva-Mantinga loses to Omega-Tauras

Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

Suduva-Mantinga (3-1) recorded its first loss in Marijampole on Saturday night. Hosts were defeated by third ranked Omega-Tauras (5-1) 87-82. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Suduva-Mantinga. Omega-Tauras shot 64.3 percent from the field. It was a great shooting night for Omega-Tauras especially from behind the arc, where they had solid 58.8 percentage. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. The best player for the winners was Canadian guard Kyle Duke-Simpson (188-2002, college: Cumberlands) who scored 29 points. Giedrius Stankevicius (207-1996) chipped in 13 points and 4 assists. Omega-Tauras' coach used a ten-player rotation in such tough game. At the other side the best for losing team was point guard Tautvydas Kliucinykas (190-1995) who recorded 21 points. Omega-Tauras maintains third position with 5-1 record behind leader Jurbarkas, which they share with Palanga. Suduva-Mantinga at the other side dropped to the sixth place with one game lost. They share the position with Vytis. Omega-Tauras is looking forward to face Vilkaviskis (#11) on the road in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Suduva-Mantinga will play against Silute (#5) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Kretinga can celebrate finally their first win this season after five consecutive losses. The victory is especially important as it came on the road game in Kaunas, where they defeated Atletas (0-5) 84-72. It was a good game for American power forward Justin Young (201-1998, college: CPP) who led his team to a victory with 27 points and 5 rebounds (on 11-of-13 shooting from the field). Klaidas Metrikis contributed with 13 points and 6 rebounds for the winners. Center Vytautas Meistas (205-2002) replied with 18 points and 6 rebounds for Atletas. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Kretinga (1-5) left bottom position moving up to fifteenth place, which they share with Mazeikiai. It was Atletas' fifth loss in a row. Newly promoted team still closes the standings with five games lost. Kretinga will play against higher ranked Alytus (#12) on the road in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. Atletas will have a break next round.
Undefeated leader Jurbarkas delivered the sixth consecutive victory on Saturday night. This time they beat 11th ranked Kedainiai (2-4) 81-72. Tomas Zdanavicius scored 19 points and 9 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners. The best for the losing side was Medas Kuprijanovas with 14 points and 9 rebounds. Kedainiai's coach rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Undefeated Jurbarkas (6-0) have an impressive six-game winning streak. They maintain first position with a perfect record of 6 victories in a row, which they share with Telsiai. Loser Kedainiai dropped to the twelfth place with four games lost. They share the position with Stekas and Alytus. Jurbarkas will meet Zalgiris II (#10) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Kedainiai will play against Rytas 2 and hope to secure a win.

Rest of the games of round 6 were quite predictable and ended without any surprises. Here they are:
winless Rytas 2 was crushed by P.Olimpas in Plunge 89-64. Mazeikiai was beaten by Neptunas-Akv. at home 77-90. Alytus lost to Silute on the opponent's court 77-92. Telsiai outscored Vilkaviskis in a home game 94-70. Palanga rolled over Stekas on the road 107-76. Vytis defeated Zalgiris II on its own court 104-92.



P.Olimpas - Rytas 2 89-64:
There was no surprise in Plunge where bottom-ranked Rytas 2 (0-6) was crushed by thirteenth ranked P.Olimpas (3-3) 89-64 on Saturday. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when P.Olimpas made 7 blocks. American center Emmanuel Byrd (206-2004, college: Truman St.) scored 19 points and 7 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners and Ukrainian forward Vladyslav Mustiatsa (194-2002) chipped in 17 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists during the contest. Five P.Olimpas players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was guard Jonas Trivokas (193-2008) with 9 points and 7 assists and power forward Martynas Kancevicius (204-2006) scored 12 points and 7 rebounds. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. P.Olimpas moved-up to eighth place, which they share with Neptunas-Akv. and Zalgiris II. Loser Rytas 2 still closes the standings with six games lost. P.Olimpas will meet Mazeikiai (#16) on the road in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Rytas 2 will play against Kedainiai in Kedainiu and hopes to get finally their first victory.
Top scorers:
P.Olimpas: E.Byrd 19+7reb+2ast, M.Vladyslav 17+5reb+4ast, M.Najeeb 14+1reb+1ast, M.Thomas 14+1reb+3ast, I.Razutis 14+3reb+6ast, M.Macijauskas 6+5reb+2ast
Rytas 2: K.Martynas 12+7reb+1ast, R.Simas 11+3reb, J.Trivokas 9+4reb+7ast, G.Buivydas 7+1reb+3ast, K.Snitka 6+1reb+2ast, A.Pocius 5+4reb+2ast

Atletas - Kretinga 72-84:
Kretinga can celebrate finally their first win this season after five consecutive losses. The victory is especially important as it came on the road game in Kaunas, where they defeated Atletas (0-5) 84-72. It was a good game for American power forward Justin Young (201-1998, college: CPP) who led his team to a victory with 27 points and 5 rebounds (on 11-of-13 shooting from the field). Klaidas Metrikis (204-2000, agency: Bell Basketball) contributed with 13 points and 6 rebounds for the winners. Young is a former Eurobasket Summer League player, which is considered top international summer league in the market. Center Vytautas Meistas (205-2002) replied with 18 points and 6 rebounds and Serbian guard Pavle Kuzmanovic (195-2000, college: HPU) added 11 points in the effort for Atletas. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Kretinga (1-5) left bottom position moving up to fifteenth place, which they share with Mazeikiai. It was Atletas' fifth loss in a row. Newly promoted team still closes the standings with five games lost. Kretinga will play against higher ranked Alytus (#12) on the road in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. Atletas will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Kretinga: J.Young 27+5reb, M.Klaidas 13+6reb+2ast, S.Mantvydas 9+4reb+8ast, S.Domantas 8+3reb+1ast, E.Danys 7+12reb+2ast, W.Jalen 7+5reb+2ast
Atletas: M.Vytautas 18+6reb+1ast, K.Pavle 11+4reb+1ast, L.Aistis 9+3reb+1ast, N.Augustas 8+8reb, S.Justas 6+4reb, D.Titas 4+3reb+6ast

Mazeikiai - Neptunas-Akv. 77-90:
No shocking result in a game when twelfth ranked Neptunas-Akv. (3-3) defeated on the road 15th ranked Mazeikiai (1-5) 90-77 on Saturday. Neptunas-Akv. shot the lights out from three sinking 13 long-distance shots on high 52.0 percentage. Point guard Rytis Sakaitis (193-2004) scored 29 points and 4 assists (perfect from downtown making all five shots) to lead the charge for the winners and guard Dziugas Remeikis (190-2006) chipped in 16 points during the contest. The best for the losing side was guard Tautvydas Kupstas (193-2000, college: UWF) with 15 points and 5 rebounds and guard Laurynas Klimas (188-2004) scored 14 points and 5 rebounds. Four Mazeikiai players scored in double figures. Mazeikiai's coach Darius Pakamanis rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Neptunas-Akv. moved-up to eighth place, which they share with Zalgiris II and P.Olimpas. Mazeikiai lost fourth consecutive game. They keep the fifteenth position with five games lost. They share it with Kretinga. Neptunas-Akv. will meet at home higher ranked Palanga (#4) in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. Mazeikiai will play against P.Olimpas (#9) and hope to win that game.
Top scorers:
Neptunas-Akv.: S.Rytis 29+3reb+4ast, R.Dziugas 16+2reb+3ast, P.Nojus 12+5reb, R.Maciulis 8+3reb+3ast, Z.Aironas 8+3reb+1ast, N.Cikunov 7
Mazeikiai: A.Lopukhov 16+3reb+1ast, T.Kupstas 15+5reb+2ast, K.Laurynas 14+5reb+1ast, P.Armandas 11+2reb, A.Kone 10+7reb+1ast, R.Williams 5+3reb+7ast

Silute - Alytus 92-77:
Very expected game when 10th ranked Alytus (2-4) was defeated on the road by sixth ranked Silute (4-2) 92-77 on Saturday. Silute looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. American Gerrale Gates (198-2000, college: Holy Cross) scored 24 points and 7 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners and Rokas Jocys (196-2004, college: Manhattan) chipped in 23 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists during the contest. Five Silute players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was American guard CJ Hall (188-2002, college: SIUE) with 31 points and 5 rebounds and his fellow American import guard Scooter Williams (196-2001, college: La Tech) scored 25 points. Silute moved-up to fifth place. Loser Alytus dropped to the twelfth position with four games lost. They share it with Kedainiai and Stekas. Silute will meet at home Suduva-Mantinga (#6) in the next round. Alytus will play against Kretinga (#15) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Silute: G.Gerrale 24+7reb+2ast, R.Jocys 23+5reb+5ast, J.Nojus 15+5reb+2ast, M.Augustinas 13+12reb+4ast, B.Demarco 11+4reb+1ast, Z.Martynas 6+3reb+4ast
Alytus: C.Hall 31+5reb+1ast, S.Williams 25+2reb+2ast, S.Valunta 11+6reb+3ast, K.Guscikas 4+7reb, K.Paulius 2+2reb+1ast, D.Brodie 2+9reb+1ast

Suduva-Mantinga - Omega-Tauras 82-87:
Suduva-Mantinga (3-1) recorded its first loss in Marijampole on Saturday night. Hosts were defeated by third ranked Omega-Tauras (5-1) 87-82. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Suduva-Mantinga. Omega-Tauras shot 64.3 percent from the field. It was a great shooting night for Omega-Tauras especially from behind the arc, where they had solid 58.8 percentage. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. The best player for the winners was Canadian guard Kyle Duke-Simpson (188-2002, college: Cumberlands) who scored 29 points. Giedrius Stankevicius (207-1996) chipped in 13 points and 4 assists. Omega-Tauras' coach used a ten-player rotation in such tough game. At the other side the best for losing team was point guard Tautvydas Kliucinykas (190-1995) who recorded 21 points and forward Justinas Jogminas (197-1997) added 10 points and 8 rebounds respectively. Four Suduva-Mantinga players scored in double figures. Omega-Tauras maintains third position with 5-1 record behind leader Jurbarkas, which they share with Palanga. Suduva-Mantinga at the other side dropped to the sixth place with one game lost. They share the position with Vytis. Omega-Tauras is looking forward to face Vilkaviskis (#11) on the road in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Suduva-Mantinga will play against Silute (#5) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Omega-Tauras: D.Kyle 29+4reb+2ast, C.Jacob 16+4reb, S.Giedrius 13+4reb+4ast, A.Tauris 9+6reb+2ast, V.Sarunas 6+3reb+9ast, A.Hopenas 6
Suduva-Mantinga: T.Kliucinykas 21+1reb+1ast, D.Vilys 13+1reb+2ast, J.Ramanauskas 12+2reb+6ast, J.Jogminas 10+8reb+2ast, G.Mokseckas 7+2reb, I.Labutis 7+3reb+1ast

Telsiai - Vilkaviskis 94-70:
Very predictable result when top-ranked Telsiai (6-0) outscored at home 9th ranked Vilkaviskis (2-3) 94-70 on Saturday. American guard Keishawn Davidson (188-2001, college: Belmont, agency: One Motive Sports) scored 22 points (on 7-of-9 shooting from the field) to lead the charge for the winners and the other American import point guard Quinton Morton-Robertson (178-2001, college: PFW) chipped in 17 points during the contest. The best for the losing side was forward Justinas Marcinkevicius (202-1998, college: Barry) with 18 points and 7 rebounds (on 7-of-9 shooting from the field) and forward Emilis Bartninkas (206-2004, agency: Players Group) scored 15 points. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Telsiai have an impressive six-game winning streak. They keep a position of league leader, which they share with Jurbarkas. Loser Vilkaviskis dropped to the eleventh place with three games lost. Telsiai will meet at home Stekas (#14) in the next round which should be another easy win for them. Vilkaviskis will play against Omega-Tauras and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Telsiai: D.Keishawn 22+3reb+3ast, M.Quinton 17+2reb+3ast, V.Kevon 13+3reb+5ast, R.Tomas 11+3reb, B.Tadas 10+3reb+1ast, O.Kaminskis 9+8reb+4ast
Vilkaviskis: M.Justinas 18+7reb+2ast, E.Bartninkas 15+4reb, T.Pazarauskas 12+1ast, Z.Mantvydas 9+5reb+2ast, B.Bagdonavicius 7+8reb+2ast, C.Abou 5+4reb+2ast

Stekas - Palanga 76-107:
Not a big story in a game in Vilnius where 14th ranked Stekas (2-4) was outplayed by fourth ranked Palanga (5-1) 107-76 on Saturday. Palanga dominated down low during the game scoring 60 of its points in the paint compared to Stekas' 22. Palanga looked well-organized offensively handing out 27 assists. American point guard Armin Cane (186-1993, college: Stockton) had a double-double by scoring 13 points, 7 rebounds, 12 assists and 5 steals to lead the charge for the winners and point guard Titas Janusevicius (190-2001) chipped in 21 points and 4 assists during the contest. Cane is a former Eurobasket Summer League player, which is considered top international summer league in the market. Five Palanga players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was guard Arnas Adomavicius (193-2000, college: UNCG) with 19 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists and ex-international guard Martynas Gecevicius (193-1988) scored 13 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Palanga have a solid three-game winning streak. They moved-up to third place, which they share with Omega-Tauras. Loser Stekas dropped to the twelfth position with four games lost. They share it with Kedainiai and Alytus. Palanga will meet Neptunas-Akv. (#8) in the next round where they are favorite. Stekas will play against the league's second-placed Telsiai (#2) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Palanga: J.Titas 21+3reb+4ast, U.Antanas 18+5reb+2ast, J.William 14+6reb, G.Lesciauskas 13+1reb, C.Armin 13+7reb+12ast, U.Rokas 12+7reb+5ast
Stekas: A.Arnas 19+5reb+6ast, E.Seskus 14+3reb+6ast, M.Gecevicius 13+6reb+4ast, D.Tarvydas 8+6reb+2ast, T.Titas 7+1reb+1ast, S.Webster 6+6reb+1ast

Vytis - Zalgiris II 104-92:
We could consider it a predictable result in the game between close teams in Sakiai where eighth ranked Vytis (3-1) won against 7th ranked Zalgiris II (3-3) 104-92 on Saturday. Vytis forced 19 Zalgiris II turnovers. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 30 assists. Forward Kajus Leliukas (204-2004) had a double-double by scoring 26 points and 10 rebounds (on 12-of-15 shooting from the field) to lead the charge for the winners and guard Paulius Velutis (191-2004) chipped in 28 points during the contest. The best for the losing side was guard Majus Bulanovas (195-2007) with 27 points and 6 rebounds and guard Kristupas Sabeckas (186-2009) scored 15 points. Four Zalgiris II players scored in double figures. Both coaches tested many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Vytis moved-up to sixth place, which they share with Suduva-Mantinga. Loser Zalgiris II dropped to the eighth position with three games lost. They share it with Neptunas-Akv. and P.Olimpas. Vytis will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Zalgiris II will play against the league's leader Jurbarkas (#1) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Vytis: P.Velutis 28+2reb+1ast, K.Leliukas 26+10reb+3ast, J.Rubinas 16+3reb+11ast, V.Arturas 8+3reb+1ast, N.Lebskas 7+1ast, N.Vaivada 6+1reb+3ast
Zalgiris II: M.Bulanovas 27+6reb+1ast, S.Kristupas 15+4reb+2ast, G.Krivas 11+4reb, D.Grunkis 10+1reb+8ast, D.Jakstonis 9+1reb, M.Nojus 6+2reb+1ast

Jurbarkas - Kedainiai 81-72:
Undefeated leader Jurbarkas delivered the sixth consecutive victory on Saturday night. This time they beat 11th ranked Kedainiai (2-4) 81-72. Tomas Zdanavicius (204-1996) scored 19 points and 9 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners and ex-international guard Vytenis Cizauskas (190-1992) chipped in 16 points and 8 rebounds during the contest. The best for the losing side was Medas Kuprijanovas (197-1996) with 14 points and 9 rebounds and point guard Paulius Semaska (184-1993) scored 12 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists. Both teams had five players each who scored in double figures. Kedainiai's coach rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Jurbarkas (6-0) have an impressive six-game winning streak. They maintain first position with a perfect record of 6 victories in a row, which they share with Telsiai. Loser Kedainiai dropped to the twelfth place with four games lost. They share the position with Stekas and Alytus. Jurbarkas will meet Zalgiris II (#10) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Kedainiai will play against Rytas 2 and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Jurbarkas: Z.Tomas 19+9reb+3ast, C.Vytenis 16+8reb+2ast, G.Norbertas 15+9reb+1ast, L.Vytenis 11+7reb+2ast, J.Adas 10+3reb, M.Stasys 6+2reb+4ast
Kedainiai: D.Laurynas 15+3ast, S.Vainius 14+5reb+3ast, M.Kuprijanovas 14+9reb+3ast, S.Paulius 12+8reb+6ast, I.Lukosius 10+9reb, M.Amir 4+3reb