Avtodor downs Rytas, advances to Last 32

Avtodor Saratov qualified to the Eurocup Last 32 in regular season Group E by downing Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius 109-92 at home on Wednesday. Avtodor improved to 6-2 and is mathematically into the next round while Rytas dropped to 2-6. Travis Peterson led the winners with 25 points. Evgeny Koleshnikov added 24 on 5-of-5 three-point shots, Paul Stoll got 12, Denys Lukashov had 11 while Artem Zabelin and Alan Makiev each had 10 for Avtodor. Nico Laprovittola led Rytas with 21 points and 6 assists. Ksistof Lavrinovic added 20 points, Deividas Gailius and Adas Juskevicius each had 12 while Gediminas Orelik got 10 for the guests. Peterson had 8 quick points and Denys Lukashov added a three-pointer to give Saratov an early 13-4. Rytas found a go-to guy in Marius Runkauskas, who had 7 unanswered points to keep the guests within 20-18. Stoll and Makiev made Avtodor restore a 25-18 margin after 10 minutes. Koleshnikov gave the hosts their first double-digit lead, 30-20, and a 9-0 run which Zabelin capped with a dunk allowed Avtodor to boost its margin to 52-35 at halftime. Nothing changed after the break, as Avtodor improved its margin to 78-58 late in the third quarter and used an 11-0 run to seal the outcome, 89-62, soon after that, more than enough for the hosts to celebrate a historical win.

Koleshnikov got Avtodor going with a second-chance layup that Orelik matched with free throws. Peterson followed a one-handed dunk with a bomb from downtown and soon added a three-point play for a 10-4 Avtodor lead. Lukashov hit a triple in transition to make Rytas call timeout at 13-4. Laprovittola joined the three-point shootout, Peterson sank a running hook and Gailius kept the guests within 15-9. Zabelin hit a close shot, Lavrinovic answered with a backdoor layup and a triple by Stoll boosted the hosts' lead to 20-11. Runkauskas stepped up with 7 unanswered points but Stoll and Tamirlan Bekkiev gave Avtodor a 23-18 edge. A jump hook by Makiev fixed the score at 25-18 after 10 minutes. Koleshnikov followed a layup with a bomb from downtown early in the second quarter to give Avtodor its first double-digit lead, 30-20. Makiev dunked and Jeremy Chappell hit a jumper but Laprovittola and Orelik kept Rytas within 34-26. Koleshnikov kept pacing the hosts with a layup-plus-foul, Julius Jucikas downed a close shot and Zabelin gave his team a 39-28 margin. Chappell hit free throws, Peterson scored down low and a dunk by Zabelin broke the game open, 45-28. Orelik nailed a corner triple and Lavrinovic made foul shots but Brooks and Stoll kept Avtodor way ahead, 52-35, at halftime.

Gaulius struck from downtown immediately after the break and so did Laprovittola to keep Rytas within 52-41. Peterson joined the three-point shootout, Laprovittola hit another one and Lukashov gave Avtodor a 57-44 margin. Lavrinovic hit a jump hook but Koleshnikov did better with one from downtown. Lavrinovic scored again and a fast break slam by Gailius made the hosts call timeout at 60-50. Peterson quickly rescued Saratov with a basket and Brooks added free throws for a 64-50 score. Laprovittola and Gailius kept pacing Rytas but free throws by Stoll and Lukashov kept Avtodor way ahead, 74-56. Rytas called timeout but Stoll and Makiev soon made it a 20-point game, 78-58. Orelik and Lavrinovic brought the guests a bit closer, 78-62, after 30 minutes. Peterson nailed a triple from the top of the key early in the fourth quarter and Koleshnikov struck twice from downtown in an 11-0 run which allowed Avtodor to seal the outcome, 89-62. Lavrinovic hit a jump hook but so did Peterson. Rytas kept trying but everything was said and done already, as Avtodor had sealed its ticket to the next round.