Dominance on the glass fuels Lithuania's blowout win over Kosovo

PRISHTINA (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Qualifiers) - Lithuania overcame a slow start against Kosovo in their opening game of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Qualifiers and steamrolled their Group C opponents 99-61 on the road in Prishtina.

Turning Point: Having entered the second half all square at 35-all, the Dainius Adomaitis-coached side turned into the Green Machine after the interval, running away to a 60-47 lead before turning the contest into a blowout with a 39-point final quarter.

Game Hero: Instant-offense guard Adas Juskevicius needed just 18 minutes of playing time to get his point tally to 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field and dish out 5 assists to spearhead the well-rounded Lithuanian offense as the top scorer.

Stats Don't Lie: It is remarkable that Kosovo managed to trade blows for so long, given their huge disadvantage in the rebounding department. Lithuania snatched up 51 rebounds, compared to just 24 by the home side; their 24-7 lead in offense rebounds tells the story of the game even better.

Bottom Line: Having made history by getting past the Pre-Qualifiers, Kosovo lacked depth and size up front to challenge Group C favorites Lithuania more seriously. However, Dardan Berisha and Scott Bamforth put together solid displays, combining for 36 points, to give the fans some optimism before the next game against Hungary.

They Said: "We knew it was going to be a tough atmosphere. We saw the games against the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Estonia and how these teams lost here. This atmosphere is great for basketball and we're just happy to get the win." – Lithuanian national team head coach Dainius Adomaitis.

"I was really proud of the first 20 minutes. We played with heart, fought hard, made some shots and didn't turn it over. That's how you stay in the game against a pretty good team. In the second half, we had trouble. They really ganged up on Dardan (Berisha) and Scottie (Bamforth) and we didn't react well to that." - Kosovar national team head coach Brad Greenberg.

FIBA