«Lietuvos Rytas» Vilnius, Lithuania vs. «Enisey» Krasnoyarsk, Russia

Lietuvos Rytas (Lithuania) held off Enisey (Russia) in Vilnius, 103-97, in Week 17 of the regular season. With Enisey trailing by just a point, 77-76, early in the fourth quarter, Rytas went on an 11-0 run to take control and ultimately secure the win. Thanks to the victory, Lietuvos Rytas guarantees 2^nd place in Group A and a first-round playoff bye. Enisey, meanwhile, now moves on to a Week 18 clash against Nizhny Novgorod to decide 4^th place in the group.  

Intro
The visitors were on top early. Andrey Komarovskiy and Gregory Renfroe got hot from the perimeter, while Elmedin Kikanovic controlled the paint. The home team only woke up midway through the first quarter when Martynas Gecevicius helped his club put together a mini 10-3 run to mostly erase Enisey’s eight-point lead. The period closed with a flurry of offense on both ends and Lietuvos Rytas led, 29-28.  

Krasnoyarsk enjoyed a strong start to the second quarter. While the home team tried to find its shot, the Siberians took advantage of their size advantage down low. But Rytas refused to trail for long. Darius Songaila led the home team this time, outworking Kosta Perovic several times down low. With his teammates chipping in, the Lithuanians dominated the final minutes in the half and secured a five-point advantage, 54-49.

The pace didn’t cool off in the third. Both teams scored on their first possessions to set the tone and offer a hint of what was to come. Rytas ultimately retained control, leading 75-71, entering the fourth quarter, as Enisey failed to even the score.

Turning Point
The turning point came soon after the start of the final period. Enisey drew within a point early, then went cold at just the wrong time. Shut out for a little over two minutes, the visitors gave up a crushing 11-0 run. Renaldas Seibutis and Darius Songaila did the bulk of the damage for Rytas, who looked at ease on offense in stark contrast to their Russian foes. Late in the game, Enisey managed to pull back within four points twice, but it was too little too late, with Songaila and Gecevicius  shutting down the first comeback and Tautvydas Lydeka taking care of the second for the home team.

Star of the Game
Darius Songaila. The veteran forward was Lietuvos Rytas’s primary option on offense much of the game. He got the team back in the game in the second and also carried the Lithuanians in the crucial final period.

Stat of the Game
200 – total number of points scored. Both teams played exciting, attacking basketball, which likely made the Siemens Arena fans quite happy.

Top Performers
Lietuvos Rytas: Darius Songaila – 25 points, six rebounds, four assists; Martynas Gecevicius – 18 points, five assists; Gedeminas Orelik – 18 points, six rebounds, three steals; Renaldas Seibutis – 10 points, four assists; Zabian Dowdell – 10 points; Omar Cooke – seven points, eight assists.

Enisey: Gregory Renfroe – 20 points, seven rebounds, four assists; Elmedin Kikanovic – 17 points, eight rebounds; Anthony Fisher – 17 points, four assists; Viacheslav Zaitcev – 13 points; Christian Burns – nine points, seven rebounds.