Led by the duo of Augustinas Mikštas and Gabrielius Čelka, Šakiai’s Vytis-VDU (16-5) played with fire in Dzūkija, but returned home with a five-game winning streak in the URBO-NKL. Erikas Kučiauskas’s team won 85-80 (31-23, 14:21, 16:16, 24:20) after a fierce battle, surpassing the Alytaus (4-19) basketball players, who suffered their fifth consecutive defeat.
The Šakiai team’s tall player Mikštas scored an impressive double-double. The 24-year-old forward scored 22 points (5/11 two-pointers, 3/4 three-pointers, 3/4 free throws), 18 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 turnovers, and 30 efficiency points in 32 minutes.
His best teammate, Čelka, played at a triple-double pace and finished with 16 points (8/10 two-pointers, 0/3 three-pointers), 8 rebounds, 2 steals, 8 assists, 5 turnovers, and 26 efficiency points.
With three minutes remaining, Vytis-VDU was close to victory (81:72), but long-range shots by Tautvydas Baltrušaitis and Tomas Stankevičius reduced the Alytus deficit to one point (78:81) in a minute.
After a timeout, both teams exchanged mistakes, but then Mikštas sank a three-pointer (84:78). Martynas Pocevičius responded with two points (80:84), and with 17 seconds left, Rokas Jocys sealed the victory for Šakiai with a free throw – 85:80.
Šakiai won the battle for rebounds convincingly (50:36) and added 13 points from 15 second chances.
Information from nklyga.lt




