By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Unicaja Malaga entered the second game of the Basketball Champions League Round of 16 on a record 17-game winning streak, while Rytas Vilnius came in after winning their last six BCL encounters.
After 40 minutes of a great and intense battle at Palacio de Deportes Jose Maria Martin Carpena, the Spanish side prevailed with a final score of 92-74, improving to 2-o in Group J.
Tyson Carter, with 26 points, was the top scorer of the winners, while Kendrick Perry, with 15 points and seven assists, made things happen. RJ Cole scored 15 points for Rytas.
Unicaja was ahead for most of the first half, but Rytas stayed close. The hosts eventually grabbed their first double-digit lead, 42-32, in the final minutes of the second quarter. However, the Lithuanian team responded well at the start of the third period, showing both willingness and readiness to fight until the end, tying the score at 46-46 in a matter of minutes.
However, when it mattered most, Ibon Navarro’s players demonstrated their caliber and character as champions, taking control in the final period and eventually pulling away to notch their 18th straight win in the competition.
Postgame press conference: