Rytas Vilnius vs. Limoges CSP - ShowGame - ADIDAS Next Generation Tournament

2019-20Regular SeasonRound 7

November 13, 2019 CET: 18:00

Local time: 19:00 SIEMENS ARENA

Rytas gets pivotal home win

Rytas Vilnius survived a tough test in Group B by downing Limoges CSP 92-78 in the Lithuanian capital on Wednesday. Rytas improved to 3-4 in the standings, while Limoges dropped to 2-5. Limoges, however, will have the tiebreak advantage between both teams due to its 19-point home win in Round 2. Pako Cruz led the winners with 22 points, Arnas Butkevicius and Martynas Echodas each added 11 while Cameron Bairstow had 10 for Rytas. Vincent Sanford paced Limoges with 20 points, Semaj Christon added 17 points plus 12 assists, Brian Conklin scored 13 points, Hugo Invernizzi 12 and Anthony Brown 11. Cruz and Echodas combined for 15 points in the opening 7 minutes in staking Rytas to a 21-13 margin after 10 minutes. Back-to-back triples by Deividas Sirvydis boosted the hosts' lead to 39-26, but Brown and an unstoppable Invernizzi fueled a 0-10 run to bring Limoges within 39-36. Cruz led a 10-0 run that Bairstow capped with a jumper for a 48-36 Rytas margin right after the break. Brown and Christon managed to rally Limoges within 53-51, but Butkevicius and Eimantas Bendzius helped Rytas restore a 66-60 edge after 30 minutes. The visitors made it 68-67 only to see Cruz, Mindaugas Girdziunas and Butkevicius seal the outcome for Rishon at 81-70, long before the final buzzer.

.@pakocruz9 from MILES OUT +1️⃣#7DAYSMagicMoment pic.twitter.com/62cCLytfR2
— 7DAYS EuroCup (@EuroCup) November 13, 2019

Echodas got Rytas going with a dunk and Bairstow added a layup for a 4-0 lead. Invernizzi hit a mid-range jumper, but Cruz and Echodas boosted the hosts' edge to 8-2. Christon scored in penetration and Conklin followed a dunk with a layup to bring Limoges within 10-8. Conklin kept pushing the visitors with a jumper, but an unstoppable Cruz had 7 quick points to give Rytas a 17-10 margin. After Sanford struck from downtown, Dovis Bickauskis and Evaldas Kayris led the hosts to a 21-13 advantage after 10 minutes. Sanford sank a floater early in the second quarter and Atoumane Diagne added a jump hook, but back-to-back triples by Girdziunas and Bendzius made it a double-digit game, 27-17. Terrell Holloway stepped up with a driving layup, but Christon and Brown kept Limoges within 31-21. Sirvydis struck twice from beyond the arc and Cruz lifted his team to a 39-26 lead. Brown joined the three-point shootout and Invernizzi did even better with a triple and a four-point play to bring Limoges within 39-36, after a 0-10 run. Bairstow and Kayris scored down low and Cruz gave Rytas a double-digit margin, 46-36, at halftime.

Bairstow hit a jumper right after the break and Echodas added a put-back layup, but Christon and Brown kept Limoges close at 51-44. Christon stayed on fire with an acrobatic driving basket and Brown added a triple that made it 53-49. Christon scored in the low post, but three-pointers by Bendzius and Butkevicius gave Rytas fresh air at 59-53. Sanford sank a couple of jumpers and Jerry Boutsiele added a three-point play, but an outstanding Butkevicius kept Rytas in charge, 66-60, after 30 minutes. Christon nailed a three-pointer early in the fourth quarter and erased Butkevicius's layup with a wild turnaround jumper to make it 68-65. Conklin scored around the basket, but a jumper by Girdziunas and a four-point by Cruz gave the hosts a 74-67 margin with over 6 minutes left. Sanford and Bairstow exchanged three-pointers and a dunk by Butkevicius prompted Limoges to stop the game at 79-70. Kairys took over with a put-back layup, but Conklin and Sanford gave Limoges hope at 83-75 with over 2 minutes left. A three-pointer by Bendzius sealed the outcome, 86-75, as the visitors never recovered.

Pivotal performer

Arnas Butkevicius came off the bench and made the difference for Rytas with his overall aggressiveness and intensity. He finished the game with 11 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 4 fouls drawn for a PIR of 25.

Game-changing moment

Limoges managed to get within 68-67 early in the fourth quarter, but a jumper by Girdziunas ignited a 12-3 run highlighted but Cruz's spectacular four-point play. By the time Kayris scored around the basket, Rytas led 81-70 and the hosts managed to keep full control of the game in the final 4 minutes.

A third win in @EuroCup! We won against @limogescsp 92:78 pic.twitter.com/OjXC9583di
— BC RYTAS Vilnius (@RytasVilnius) November 13, 2019

Stellar stat

Rytas's aggressiveness was born in the free throw difference. Limoges committed 23 fouls and Rytas 20, but the hosts went to the free-throw line 31 times and the visitors took just 9 free throws. Rytas had 24 assists and Limoges 14 with 12 of them by Christon.

Did you notice?

Limoges could not get its first-ever win in Lithuanian soil. Four visits to Lithuania, four losses. Limoges had already lost twice against Zalgiris (112-100 in 1986 and 76-74 in 1995) and once before against Rytas (92-76 in 2017).

Next game

Both teams return to 7DAYS EuroCup action on Wednesday, November 20. Rytas visits Partizan NIS Belgrade in the Serbian capital and Limoges hosts Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar.

Pako Cruz - Rytas Vilnius (photo Rytas - Rokas Lukosevicius ) - EC19

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Eurocupbasketball.com

Referees: ZAMOJSKI, JAKUB; BALAK, AMIT; GELLER, RENAUD

Attendance: 4251

By Quarter	1	2	3	4
Rytas Vilnius	21	25	20	26
Limoges CSP	13	23	24	18

End of Quarter	1	2	3	4
Rytas Vilnius	21	46	66	92
Limoges CSP	13	36	60	78

Rytas Vilnius

							Rebounds						Blocks		Fouls
#	Player	Min	Pts	2FG	3FG	FT	O	D	T	As	St	To	Fv	Ag	Cm	Rv	PIR
0	SIRVYDIS, DEIVIDAS	14:32	6	0/2	2/5		1	4	5						1	1	6
2	BICKAUSKIS, DOVIS	19:44	2	1/1	0/1	0/2				5					3	1	2
5	GIEDRAITIS, KAROLIS	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
7	HOLLOWAY, TERRELL	20:08	4	1/3	0/2	2/2				7					4	2	5
9	CRUZ, PAKO	23:23	22	3/4	2/4	10/11				4	1	1			3	6	25
14	ECHODAS, MARTYNAS	22:51	11	5/9		1/2	4	2	6			1	1		1	2	13
18	GIRDZIUNAS, MINDAUGAS	16:31	9	2/4	1/4	2/2				3				1	2	1	5
22	BENDZIUS, EIMANTAS	24:17	9	0/3	3/5		2	2	4	2			1		1	1	11
23	BLAZEVIC, MAREK	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
32	KAIRYS, EVALDAS	17:09	8	2/3		4/6	1	1	2	1		1			2	3	8
41	BAIRSTOW, CAMERON	15:43	10	3/4	1/2	1/2						1		1	3	2	4
51	BUTKEVICIUS, ARNAS	25:42	11	2/3	2/2	1/4	2	7	9	2	3					4	25
	Team						1	3	4								4
	Totals	200:00	92	19/36	11/25	21/31	11	19	30	24	4	4	2	2	20	23	108
				52.8%	44%	67.7%

Head coach: ADOMAITIS, DAINIUS

Min: Minutes played; Pts: Points; 2FG M-A: 2-point Field Goals (Made-Attempted); 3FG M-A: 3-point Field Goals (Made-Attempted); FT M-A: Free Throws (Made-Attempted); Rebounds: O (Offensive), D (Defensive), T (Total); As: Assists; St: Steals; To: Turnovers; Bl: Blocks (Fv: In Favor / Ag: Against); Fouls: Cm (Commited), Rv (Received); PIR: Performance Index Rating

Limoges CSP

							Rebounds						Blocks		Fouls
#	Player	Min	Pts	2FG	3FG	FT	O	D	T	As	St	To	Fv	Ag	Cm	Rv	PIR
0	MBALA, BENOIT	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
5	CRUSOL, TIMOTHE	15:10			0/1			1	1			1			4	2	-3
6	CHRISTON, SEMAJ	31:55	17	6/10	1/4	2/2	1	2	3	12		2		1	3	6	25
9	VARANAUSKAS, OVIDIJUS	8:19		0/1	0/1										1		-3
10	INVERNIZZI, HUGO	24:34	12	1/2	3/3	1/1	1	3	4			1	1		2	1	14
12	DIAGNE, ATOUMANE	6:00	2	1/3			1	1	2								2
14	CONKLIN, BRIAN	29:08	13	6/10		1/2		3	3			2		1	3	2	7
15	LANG, NICOLAS	10:23		0/1	0/1			1	1						3	1	-3
16	BOUTSIELE, JERRY	19:01	3	1/2		1/1	1	3	4	2		4				3	7
21	BROWN, ANTHONY	31:12	11	0/1	3/4	2/2		7	7			3			2	3	14
44	SANFORD, VINCENT	24:18	20	5/6	3/9	1/1		1	1			1	1		5	2	11
	Team						3	1	4								4
	Totals	200:00	78	20/36	10/23	8/9	7	23	30	14	0	14	2	2	23	20	75
				55.6%	43.5%	88.9%

Head coach: JULBE, ALFRED

Head Coaches

ADOMAITIS, DAINIUS

Rytas Vilnius

"I think our intensity on both sides, offensively and defensively, made the difference. We didn't gave them easy points. We didn't make turnovers, controlled the game and did a good job. I think we mixed up some defensive systems a little bit and it was maybe harder for our opponents to adjust. Guys did a huge job rebounding, also. Pako Cruz stepped on the floor as our leader. He is very important in our system and we are really happy that he stepped up like that."

JULBE, ALFRED

Limoges CSP

"We competed well, but arrived kind of tired in two positions, especially in positions '1' and '2', at the end of the game when we had the possibility, when we created the little chance, when we opened the possibility to win, we were completely tired and they did. They played well in those minutes, with patience. Their coach did his job well and that was a little spot to open the possibility to win. Until now, we kind of have been a different team away than at home. From other games away, we improved, if we talk about all the game, but we still have many situations to improve. In the first half, we had to finish each of our defenses, going harder to every possession, to every rebound. We have to achieve away what we achieve at home. This is a number (0 steals) that shocks me and you. It is the kind of number that you know it is going to come in the press conference and it is normal. It is kind of what I said talking about the first half. We were half a step late and on one side, it was because of Rytas's aggresiveness, but on the other side, we didn't do our job perfectly."

Players

CRUZ, PAKO

Rytas Vilnius

"It was one of those days. The shots were going in and my coach and my teammates try to find me when this is happening, and that gives me confidence. I like pressure, to be in those moments, because when things go right, you enjoy a lot. I like to be in those moments and take responsibilities."

BUTKEVICIUS, ARNAS

Rytas Vilnius

"For sure, I think the key was our aggresiveness, especially on the defensive end. This was the key to the victory. And our energy. The fan support we had was unbelievable, the atmosphere, and it all combined well. We had our backs against the wall and needed these wins to come back to the victory path. We just need to keep going; we are playing like a team now, so we need to keep doing this."

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