SAN JUAN (Puerto Rico) - Lithuania pulled away in the second half to defeat Mexico, 96-84, and notch their first victory at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The Europeans prevailed in a back-and-forth affair in the first game of Group A.
Turning point
To the surprise of a small but raucous Lithuanian fan contingent, Mexico started the game on a 9-0 run and threatened to defy the odds against the on-paper tournament favorites.
However, far from being phased, Lithuania uncorked an 11-2 run to quickly tie the game before going up 29-26 at the end of the first period. The second quarter ensued in a more predictable fashion, with the Europeans steadily extending their lead to double digits.
Lithuania then broke the game open after halftime, stretching the lead to as many as 25 points.
TCL Player of the Game
Marius Grigonis scored 16 of his 21 points in the first half to set his country on the path to victory. The 28-year-old put on an outside shooting clinic, finishing 4-for-7 from downtown. He added an assist and a pair of steals for a team-high 19 efficiency.
Tadas Sedekerskis (12 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists) and Lukas Lekavicius (10 points and 5 dimes) also scored in double digits for Kazys Maksvytis’ squad. NBA star Domantas Sabonis picked up a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double in 26 minutes.
Joshua Ibarra had an excellent performance down low and engaged in a fun duel with Sabonis. The Mexican big man finished with 18 points on 7-for-14 from the floor. Fabian Jaimes and Karim Rodriguez added 13 and 11 points, respectively, while veteran Paul Stoll added 9 points and 12 assists for the losing side.
Stats don't lie
The game turned into a barn burner from early in the first quarter.
Both teams found ways to do damage in the paint and the offenses hummed despite the breakneck pace on the hardwood.
In the end, Lithuania shot 56 percent from the field and Mexico wasn’t far behind at 53 percent.
The Europeans' edge came in transition (24-2 in fast break points) and on the strength of their bench, as the Lithuanian reserves outscored their counterparts 38-18.
Bottom line
With the win, Lithuania has one foot already in the next round. A win over Côte d'Ivoire on Wednesday would not only qualify them to the Semifinals, but also clinch the top spot in Group A.
Mexico now needs to defeat The Elephants on Thursday to reach the Semifinals and keep their Olympic dreams alive.
They said
"We've been talking about this, consistency. We were good in the first half and then came out flat the first 5 minutes of the second half and against this kind of team like Lithuania, they make you pay for every mistake."
-Omar Quintero, Mexico head coach
"We knew it was going to be a tough team. We came out and competed in the first half. We came out a little slow in the third quarter and that slowed us down a little, but overall (they're) a great time and I think we played well."
-Joshua Ibarra, Mexico center
"We made adjustments, first of all, defensively. We had stops and then the possibility to run. We played, especially in the third quarter, beautiful basketball."
-Kazys Maksvytis, Lithuania head coach
"Basketball in Lithuania is like a second religion, so every time we go to the championships we expect our fans to come. They did that again and it was like our sixth player. They supported us and it was very important for us."
-Tadas Sedekerskis, Lithuania forward
FIBA