On Wednesday evening at the Twinsbet Arena, Rytas Vilnius delighted their home crowd with a dominant performance, defeating MLP Academics Heidelberg and avenging their earlier loss in the first round. For Giedrius Žibėnas’ squad, this marked their third win in the FIBA Basketball Champions League – all of them earned in the Lithuanian capital.
Rytas gradually found their rhythm – Gytis Radzevičius hit a three-pointer, while Jerrick Harding brought instant offensive spark, punishing the visitors with both mid-range shots and long-range bombs.
Artūras Gudaitis and Jacob Wiley controlled the paint, while Kay Bruhnke responded for the Germans from deep. Ignas Sargiūnas extended the lead with an and-one play (25:15). Both teams exchanged successful attacks, but a mid-range jumper from Michael Weathers helped the visitors slightly cut the deficit – 31:23.
After a timeout, Simonas Lukošius opened the second quarter with a three-pointer (34:23), but the opponents capitalized on a Rytas turnover (34:25). The teams traded baskets while maintaining a similar margin. Marcus Weathers scored inside to reduce the gap (50:43), yet soon after, Harding reignited Rytas with strong offensive plays. Ignas Sargiūnas closed the half with a clean jumper, sending the hosts to the break with their largest lead of the night – 59:45.
After halftime, the intrigue was gone. Rytas opened the third quarter with a Jordan Walker three-pointer (62:45) and fully took control from that moment on. The home side showcased impressive offensive flow, while Heidelberg had no answers. Heading into the final period, the scoreboard read 92:66.
The fourth quarter was a mere formality. Both teams exchanged baskets, but Rytas maintained a comfortable advantage and celebrated a convincing victory – 116:90 (31:23; 28:22; 33:21; 24:24).
The next FIBA Basketball Champions League matchup for Rytas Vilnius comes on November 18, when Giedrius Žibėnas’ men travel to face Legia Warsaw. The game will be broadcast live on LRT.