 Lietuvos Rytas became the 13th club to win the renowned Torneig Junior Ciutat de L'Hospitalet annual youth tournament by using a huge fourth quarter run to cruise past Unicaja 70-87 in the final. The Lithuanian team won the title in its first finals appearance - thanks to a 3-20 spurt over six minutes in the final period. Unicaja was hoping to add the 2009 hardware to its crowns from 1997 and 1998 but instead will finish runner-up for the third time after 2001 and 2005. Both teams qualified for the Nike International Junior Tournament at the 2009 Final Four in Berlin by reaching the L'Hospitalet final. Head coach Marius Linartas's Rytas jumped ahead early by 11 points but it was just one point after one period. Head coach Jesus Lazaro's Unicaja was able to forge ahead in the second and led early in the third quarter, where the biggest lead for either team was 4 points. And it was a 2-point game early in the fourth when Rytas forced seven Unicaja turnovers over a six-minute stretch and Augustas Peciukevicius nailed two three-pointers and scored 8 points of his 14 points in the decisive 3-20 run. Mantas Kadzevicius led Lietuvos with 17 points and 9 rebounds while Domantas Pipiras had 12 points and Osvaldas Matulionis chipped in 10 points, 11 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks after collecting 24 points and 12 rebounds in the semi-final. Rafael Freire paced Unicaja with 18 points while Jorge Manuel Pinazo had 12 points, Malick Fall 11 points and Augusto Cesar Lima 6 points, 13 rebounds and 3 blocks. Pinazo gave Unicaja the lead on a three to start the game, but Kadzevicius hit two lay-ups and Deividas Nazarovas converted a three-point play for a 3-10 lead. A Kadzevicius triple would push the margin to 7-18 midway through the first quarter. Freire however would hit a three-pointer and convert a three-point play in a 13-4 charge to make it 20-22. Peciukevicius kept Rytas ahead with 4 straight points and the lead was 26-27 after one period. Kadzevicius's three-ball made it 29-34 early in the second but Freire brought his team back in the low-scoring period with seven points, including a three-pointer and Unicaja was ahead 42-40 at the break. Freire opened the second half to make it a 4-point game but Matulionis answered with a three-ball and Pipiras made back-to-back baskets in a 0-8 run for a 44-48 Lietuvos advantage. The game would be tied twice in the quarter before Pipiras's score made it 52-56 after three periods. Fall put back an offensive rebound to bring Unicaja to within 56-58 in the early stages of the final period. But that is when the Spanish club fell apart. Lima's turnover was followed by a triple by Peciukevicius to make it 56-65. Jose Pozas answered with a three-ball for Unicaja. But Rytas scored on the next three possessions while Unicaja committed five straight turnovers by the time Peciukevicius drained a three-ball. Another lost ball was swooped up by Matulionis, who dunked on the break to complete the 3-20 run for a 59-78 lead. Nicolas Ciano stopped the bleeding with two foul shots and Freire also made two free throws but Pipiras's dunk made it 63-80 with just more than a minute left as the Lithuanian team began to celebrate the championship.
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
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