Unicaja survive Rytas' comeback, Galatasaray reach Quarter-Finals

MIES (Switzerland) - The defending champs already knew they had won the group, but still took care of business on the road in Vilnius.

That result alone would've sent Galatasaray through to the Quarter-Finals, but the Turkish juggernauts did their part, too, defeating Manisa Basket Divissa to make their first trip to the elite eight in the Basketball Champions League.

Rytas Vilnius 82-83 Unicaja

The Lithuanian champions were up against the wall heading into the matchup with Unicaja, but with their packed stands, they felt like they had a chance of winning and reaching the Quarter-Finals.

Tyson Carter had other plans, though.

The incredible sharp shooter had 13 points and 5 assists in his first nine minutes of work, sending Unicaja to a 15-point advantage before the break.

They made a Spanish Liga Endesa record of 23 threes against Real Madrid over the weekend, and they haven't cooled off in Vilnius, either, knocking down 8-of-13 from deep in the first two quarters.

With probably the loudest fans in all of BCL, Rytas Vilnius players found another level of aggressiveness after the break.

The energy transfer was successful, the hosts not only made it back, but even took the lead before the end of the third quarter, thanks to their one-two punch of Gytis Radzevicius and Ignas Sargiunas.

Teams went back-and-forth the rest of the way, entering the final 30 seconds tied at 82-all.

Rytas turned the ball over on their penultimate possession, Tyson Perez was fouled in transition and made one of two free throws with four seconds left to play.

After his missed free throw, the hosts had one last chance to win the game, but Sargiunas' halfcourt shot did not find the target as time expired.

"This is the toughest group we have played in the BCL in the last three seasons, by far. You can see how Manisa has finished these last two weeks, Rytas is a very strong team, and Galatasaray is a team that has changed after the cup," Unicaja's coach Ibon Navarro praised the opponents.

Carter finished the game with 17 points and 6 assists, while Melvin Ejim was the only other player in double digits with 10 for Unicaja. Radzevicius had 14, Sargiunas 11 for Rytas.

"Our journey in the BCL is finished, we had a very competitive group. I do believe that both teams that got to the Quarter Finals are gonna show up in the Final Four," coach Zibenas commented.

"We cut 12-13 points from the average that Malaga score. We cut their off-screen offense, in which they are the best team in the BCL, for sure. Also, our switching defense was much better than the first game and second chance points didn't hurt us as badly as the first game," he added.

"So basically, we controlled a lot, but it was not enough. Two or three mental mistakes offensively, somebody forgot the play, somebody over-dribbled the ball, and it was points from turnovers every time. Every time, Malaga will convert. Everybody needs to be locked in 100 percent in order to win these big games and that's basically what killed us today."

Unicaja will now wait for the Quarter-Finals draw on Friday, March 28, at 11:30 CET. They will be in the seeded part of the draw, waiting for runners-up from Groups I, K or L.

Galatasaray 104-81 Manisa Basket Divissa

For the first time in their five seasons in the Basketball Champions League, Galatasaray made it to the Quarter-Finals.

They were stopped in the Round of 16 in each of their previous three seasons, but four wins in 2025 were enough to finally reach the elite eight phase.

Coach Yakup Sekizkok got a near perfect offensive output from his players. Galatasaray put up 33 points in the first quarter, and did not look back, although Manisa Basket Divissa crawled back to a one-possession deficit early in the third quarter.

But the hosts punched back, winning the third quarter by 14 points to take an 18-point lead to the fourth quarter and seal the deal without any drama.

Sadik Emir Kabaca and James Palmer Jr led the scoring with 16 points each, but Ebuka Izundu was the man of the hour with 15 points and 12 rebounds, done in less than 20 minutes of action.

Will Cummings (14 points) and Tyrone Wallace (11) were also in double digits for Galatasaray, while Fabian White's 25 points went to waste for Manisa.

Galatasaray will now wait for the Quarter-Finals draw on Friday, March 28, at 11:30 CET. They will be in the unseeded part of the draw, waiting for first-placed teams from Groups I, K or L.