Rytas Vilnius opened the FIBA Basketball Champions League (BCL) quarterfinal stage victoriously, taking a firm step toward the Final Four. In front of a sold-out home arena, Giedrius Žibėnas’ squad overcame the Czech champions, ERA Nymburk, with a 77:70 win (17:21, 24:21, 24:19, 12:9), taking a 1:0 lead in the best-of-three series. By defending their home court, the Vilnius side heads to the return leg in Prague with both a psychological edge and a series lead.
Rytas Vilnius started the match with confidence: a dunk by Kay Bruhnke and a bucket from Speedy Smith set the tone early. Following a three-pointer by Ignas Sargiūnas and a steal leading to easy transition points by Martynas Paliukėnas, the hosts’ lead jumped to 10:4. However, the game grew chaotic, and turnovers allowed the visitors to close the gap. While Jerrick Harding’s free throws and a spectacular alley-oop dunk by Gytis Masiulis (assisted by Augustas Marčiulionis) kept the hosts ahead, the offense stalled late in the quarter. ERA Nymburk capitalized on this drought with an 8:0 run, capped by a Tony Perkins bucket and a powerful last-second dunk by Jaquan Lawrence, leaving Rytas Vilniuswith a 17:21 deficit.
The second quarter began with challenges for the home team, as Jaromir Bohacik and Ondrej Sehnal knocked down triples to extend ERA Nymburk’s lead to double digits (17:27). However, Rytas Vilnius refused to back down. Speedy Smith nailed two crucial three-pointers, while Kay Bruhnke and Artūras Gudaitis patiently gathered points from the free-throw line. After Paliukėnas tied the game at 29:29, the visitors briefly pulled away again. That was when Augustas Marčiulionis took initiative—his difficult step-back three-pointer inspired the team, and Jerrick Harding’s leadership late in the half helped Rytas Vilnius narrow the deficit to 41:42 at the break.
Rytas Vilnius returned from the locker room with a completely different energy. Artūras Gudaitis immediately shook the rim with an alley-oop dunk, and a Speedy Smith triple restored the lead for the hosts. Gudaitis’ dominance in the paint and a steal-and-score by Smith allowed the home side to build a solid 55:48 lead. Although ERA Nymburk responded with a barrage of three-pointers to briefly retake the lead, Rytas Vilnius remained composed. Masiulis contributed both a thunderous dunk and a vital long-range shot, while Ignas Sargiūnas closed the quarter with a tough “and-one” drive. This successful stretch allowed the Vilnius side to regain control and lead 65:61 heading into the final period.
The second game of the series will take place on Tuesday, April 7, in Prague. With a victory on the road, Rytas Vilniuswould secure their place in the Final Four, held from May 7–9 in Badalona. Should a deciding third game be necessary, the series would return to Vilnius.