After a winning start in the FIBA Basketball Champions League, Rytas Vilnius (1–1) experienced their first setback — the capital team lost on the road 83–92 to MLP Academics Heidelberg (1–1).
In the Group A matchup, the Germans claimed the win after a hard-fought battle — 92–83 (26–21, 21–21, 20–28, 16–22).
Rytas started the game with a successful long-range shot, but their offense soon stalled, allowing the hosts to take control. The capital team responded with a quick scoring run, giving Rytas a five-point lead at the end of the first quarter.
Early in the second quarter, Heidelberg closed the gap, but Rytas answered with a few successful plays and maintained a narrow lead. Despite fluctuations in the game’s pace, Vilnius went into halftime still ahead — 47–42.
After the break, the game turned. Heidelberg improved their defense, capitalized on Rytas’ missed opportunities, and took the lead. Rytas briefly regained balance with a few accurate long-range shots, but by the end of the third quarter, they were trailing — 67–70.
In the fourth quarter, the Germans stepped up and created a double-digit lead with several successful shots. Although Rytas tried to fight back and temporarily reduced the deficit, the capital team’s offense stalled in the final minute, and Heidelberg secured their first Basketball Champions League win of the season in front of their home fans — 92–83.