The VDU Sports Center was heated up by individual performances, which were more favorable to the players of Šakiai Vyčio-VDU (20-8), who had recovered during the URBO-NKL season.
Erikas Kučiauskas’s team finished with a powerful spurt and won a thriller against Šilutės-PDS (15-13) 99:91 (29:27, 21:18, 27:23, 22:23) at home.
The rampaging leader of the winners, Titas Januševičius, improved his career efficiency record, which stood at 37 points.
The guard scored 28 points in 34.5 minutes (2/4 two-pointers, 5/7 three-pointers, 9/11 free throws), grabbed 9 rebounds, stole 3 balls, made 4 assists, drew 9 fouls, committed 3 turnovers, and generated 42 efficiency points.
His best teammate, Gabrielius Čelka, added 18 points (9/10 two-pointers, 0/2 three-pointers, 0/2 free throws), 9 rebounds, 1 steal, 7 assists, 1 block, and 31 efficiency points in 31.5 minutes.
Kazlauskas, who was just shy of a triple-double, improved the team’s record for assists. The guard finished with 14 assists, 14 points, 9 rebounds, 1 steal, 4 turnovers, and 29 efficiency points in 36 minutes.
With just over three minutes remaining, the score was tied at 83-83. However, Kazlauskas then took the lead and pulled the visitors ahead by scoring 4 points in a row (87-83).
After consulting with his teammates, Januševičius forced his opponents to break the rules by shooting from a long distance. The defender made the first two free throws (85:87), and after missing the third, he grabbed the ball and tied the score again with a successful drive to the free throw line (87:87).
In the next attack, Kazlauskas lost the ball, and Čelka was accurate in a fast break (89:87). The Šilutė-PDS coach called a timeout, but the situation did not improve after it – the visitors did not attack and Šakiai continued to score points from free throws – 92:87.
The final point in this match was scored by Čelka with 33 seconds remaining (95:89). The hosts won the last two minutes with a 16:4 run.
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