POSTED BY: Eurobasket News
Arunas Vasiliauskas
Naglis Palangos (2-13) has played two highest scoring games of the season in the past two days but this still wasn't enough to lift themselves from the last position of the LKL league table. Yesterday they lost 81:93 (22:26, 23:25, 18:26, 18:16) in Utena to the local Juventus-LKSK Utenos (6-10) team.
Naglis Palangos is the only LKL team averaging less than 70 points per game. This weekend they reached 80 point barrier for the first time this season however their efforts were insufficient to achieve a victory as the opponents offense was superior to theirs: on Friday Naglis Palangos scored 92 but lost to Rudupis 92:94. On Saturday they scored 81 but Juventus-LKSK Utenos responded with 93.
Juventus-LKSK Utenos controlled the game from the first minutes and Naglis Palangos only led once - in the first minute of the match. Then the momentum was in Utenos' hands.
Midway in the third quarter Paulius Kleiza (195-SF-88) cut Juventus-LKSK Utenos' lead to 5 (52:57) but the difference started growing again since then. Juventus-LKSK Utenos went on a 18:7 run, built a 16 point lead and did not waste it till the end of the match.
Juventus-LKSK Utenos: Arunas Vasiliauskas (200-F-85) 18, Darius Pakamanis (193-G-81) 18, Karolis Petrukonis (212-C-87, college: Clemson) 12 (10 rebs.), Gintautas Matulis (195-F/G-86) 12, Gediminas Maceina (188-PG-84) 10, Zydrunas Urbonas (198-F-76) 10, Zygimantas Sestokas (196-G/F-86, agency: Players Group, college: Hofstra) 9.
Naglis Palangos: Paulius Kleiza (195-SF-88) 16, Mindaugas Reminas (190-G-86) 12, Vaidotas Peciukas (199-G-82, college: Hawaii) 11, Rico Pickett (192-G-89, college: Manhattan) 11, Dane Johnson (208-C-86, college: Hofstra) 11, Augustinas Vitas (210-C-82, college: Birm.Southern) 10.
This victory has allowed Juventus-LKSK Utenos to take 7th place in the LKL league table. They now have 6 victories and 10 losses
