By Stefan Acevski/ info@eurohoops.net
Rytas achieved a significant victory in the fifth round of Group A in the BCL, defeating Legia on the road with a score of 79-77.
Once again this season, Jerrick Harding was the hero of the victory. He took matters into his own hands, scoring four points in the final moments, with a basket 12 seconds before the end giving his team a three-point lead (77-74).
This was followed by drama from the free-throw line, as Andrzej Pluta was fouled on a three-point shot with two seconds left – making all three would have sent the game to overtime. He made the first two but missed the third, Rytas secured the defensive rebound and ultimately claimed the victory.
Alongside Harding, who finished the game with 22 points, Jordan Walker added 15, while Jacob Wiley had ten points and seven rebounds.
For Legia, Andrzej Pluta scored 23 points with eight assists, while Jayvon Graves and Race Thompson also scored in double digits with 15 and 14 points, respectively.
With this victory, Rytas secured first place in Group A and direct entry into the Top 16 phase. The Lithuanians now have a 4-1 record and will conclude the group stage with an away game against Promitheas, who have two wins and three losses.
Legia and Heidelberg have the same record and will face each other on December 17 in Poland. Interestingly, three teams have a 2-3 record, so the end of the group stage will be chaotic – one of the teams will end their competition in the group stage.
Postgame press conference: