By Alex Molina/ info@eurohoops.net
Despite a historic offensive display from their backcourt, AEK fell just short in the championship game of the Final Four of the Basketball Champions League Season X, powered by Ameresco SUNEL. Frank Bartley IV and James Nunnally became the first pair of teammates to ever score 20 or more points in a championship game, with Nunnally pouring in 23 points and Bartley adding 20. However, their individual brilliance was overshadowed by a late-game surge from Rytas that forced the contest into overtime, where the Lithuanian side eventually seized the trophy.
Reflecting on the narrow defeat, Bartley was quick to acknowledge the resilience of his opponents. “Credit to them. We were up for the majority of the game. We kind of got our flow late there. They made a big run. We didn’t have enough to stop it,” he mentioned.
The momentum shift proved decisive as the game moved into the extra period, with the 32-year-old guard noting that the Vilnius outfit ‘just had a lot of momentum going into overtime’. While the Queen controlled much of the regulation clock and peaked at a 20-point advantage, they were unable to stifle the perimeter shooting of the opposition’s breakout star.
The turning point rested largely on the shoulders of the tournament’s standout performer. “We should have made some other plays, but congratulations to them,” Bartley added. “They made all the right plays down the stretch, and 41 made some huge shots for them.”
That player, wearing number 41, was Simonas Lukosius, who was named Most Valuable Player of the Final Four after a record-breaking night.
Though the loss was stinging, the Louisiana native, who was named MVP of the 2025-26 season just one day prior, remained gracious. “I’m proud of my team. We were excited to be here, but, obviously, we didn’t get the outcome that we wanted.”