May 25, 2013
Regular Season Game 1 - November 24, 2008 CET: 18:00 Local time: 19:00 - SIEMENS ARENA
Lietuvos Rytas 95 - 74 Asvel Basket

Records

Ave.   Ave.
0-0 Final 0-0
0-0 Semi-Final 0-0
0-0 Quarter Final 0-0
0-0 Last 16 0-0
0-0 Regular Season 0-0
0-0 Overall 0-0

Referees

Crew Chief
SPIRIDONOS, LEONIDAS, Greece
Referee
MARICIC,SASA, Serbia
Umpire
KALPAKAS, APOSTOLOS, Sweden

Team Stats

Ave.   Ave.
0 Points 0
0 Rebounds 0
0 O. Rebounds 0
0 D. Rebounds 0
0 Assists 0
0 Steals 0
0 Blocks 0
0 Turnovers 0
0 2PT 0
0 3PT 0
0 FT 0
0 Index 0
Team Stats - Lietuvos Rytas
Team Stats - Asvel Basket

Player Stats

Ave.   Ave.
0 Points 0
0 Rebounds 0
0 OR 0
0 DR 0
0 Assists 0
0 Steals 0
0 Blocks 0
0 Turnovers 0
0 2PT 0
0 3PT 0
0 FT 0
0 Index 0
Team Roster - Lietuvos Rytas
Team Roster - Asvel Basket

THE TAKE

Lietuvos Rytas host the opening game of the Eurocup regular season as the Lithuanian team plays host to Asvel Basket of France in a Group E encounter. Rytas head coach Antanas Sireika's side has started the 2008-09 season very strong - both in the Lithuanian LKL league and the Baltic League, where the team leads both competitions. Sireika joined Lietuvos this off-season after two seasons with Russian club Unics Kazan and the former Lithuanian national team coach hopes to build upon Rytas's recent success. The team captured the 2005 ULEB Cup title and lost to Real Madrid in the 2007 final. Lietuvos also reached the Top 16 of the Euroleague in 2006 and 2008. And now it's Sireika's turn to bring the crazed Rytas fans another title. The coach has a strong group to bring into battle. The leader of the team has been Chuck Eidson, who helped Strasbourg reach the ULEB Cup quarter-finals in 2007 before joining Rytas last season. The left-handed 2.02m Edison acts almost as a point forward as he leads the team in points, rebounds and assists. Center Matt Nielsen have been averaging over 11 points and 5 rebounds thus far this season as well as more than two assists as he is a big man who can pass the ball very well. Sireika has another tough low post presence in center Marijonas Petravicius, who was with Rytas during the 2007 final run. And the Lithuanian side makes opponents pay for leaving their man on the perimeter as forward Donatas Zavackas, guard Mindaugas Lukauskis, guard Steponas Babrauskas and guard Branko Milisavljevic all have shot over 40% from long range this season. Asvel Basket will need to really be on its game to knock off Rytas on the road. Head coach Vincent Collet, new at Asvel after coming over following years with Le Mans, has started well in the French league this season, playing among the leaders. The 16-time French champions reached the Euroleague Top 16 in 2002-03 and advanced to the quarterfinals of the ULEB Cup in 2005-06. Collet's main leaders are center Ali Traore, who averages nearly 14 points and 6 rebounds a game; forward Chevon Troutman, adding about 13 points and 7 rebounds; and veteran forward Laurent Foirest, who is still an outside threat while scoring about 12 points and handing out 4 assists as well as playing top notch defense. Forward Eric Campbell has proven a strong scorer and rebounder in the blocks while guards J.R. Reynolds and Ben Dewar both can handle play-making duties while also punishing opponents if left open outside. Aymeric Jeanneau has also excelled in the point guard spot while forward Amara Sy has found himself into the Asvel attack very well with nearly 14 points and more than 7 rebounds. But Collet's team must defend extremely well if it hopes to open Group E with a victory.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Eurocupbasketball.com

Quotes Head Coaches

SIREIKA, ANTANAS
Lietuvos Rytas
"The Eurocup started late this year, but it might be even better for us. Some of my players worked hard this summer and they needed a rest. Asvel Basket is a very mobile and athletic team. They play fast and have decent shooters. I watched a few tapes of their games and now I understand why our opponents expect to return to the Euroleague. They are really good team and we respect them. Of course, the opening game is always a big deal and brings some extra emotions, but on the other hand games like that can help us get more concentrated. It's a pity that Arturas Jomantas still can't play but he is getting better and soon will join the team. We will need him, because our group is really tough and we have to consider every team."
COLLET, VINCENT
Asvel Basket
"I know that Lietuvos Rrytas is a very good team. They played in the Euroleague last year and they played great, especially in the first round. They lost Matt Nielsen and Marijonas Petravicius dueto iinjuries in the Top 16, or else I really think they, perhaps, could have made it to the Final Four if they had the whole team till the end of the season. So I think they are very good team even if they dont have Hollis Price anymore, who was a very good point guard. They have a new coach, but I think they play in the same manner, with good use of the spacing. They play very wide with aggressive wings like Eidson or Lukauskis. Even with Jomantas injured, they have enough very strong players. They are strong outside while inside Lietuvos Rytas has a very good combination between Nielsen, who is very versatile and can play with his back to the basket, and Petravicius, who is very athletic and dominates in the paint. However, we also can play wide and use our shooters like Foirest and inside we have very quick players and we will try to use them. This competition is very short and every game is very important."

Players

ZAVACKAS, DONATAS
Lietuvos Rytas
"I played with Chevon Troutman in college and I know him as aggressive player who is a very good rebounder. We have to box out him and his teammates from the paint and not let them grab the ball. I think it will be very hard to do, but we have to do that. "
PETRAVICIUS, MARIUS
Lietuvos Rytas
"Asvel is very athletic. They don't have very tall guys, but they do compensate that with an athletic game. I think one of our biggest tasks will be rebounding. We have to win the boards if we want to win the game. Our biggest advantages are that we play at home and we play a more team-oriented game. We have to play smart basketball and don't let them involve us in run-'n'-gun offense."
TROUTMAN, CHEVON
Asvel Basket
"If we want to win we have to stick with our game plan. Our coach is working on certain situations, and if we execute plays on certain points of the game, we have very good chances to win. Lietuvos Rytas is a very good team. They are fast and very dynamic. They are versatile. They can hit shots, they have big guys who can run. I don't know them personally, but I saw a poster of the team on the gym wall and I saw Donatas Zavackas. I played together with him back in college in Pittsburgh and I know he is a really good and athletic player."
Mindaugas Lukauskis - Lietuvos RytasLietuvos Rytas started the 2008-09 Eurocup season in style by downing Asvel Basket 95-74 in front of 9,750 fans at Siemens Arena at the Opening Game in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Monday night. L. Rytas confirmed its status as the heavy favorite in Group E despite being without Matt Nielsen, who sat out in the game due to a possible move to another Eurocup club. Meanwhile, Asvel will look for its first win against Azovmash Mariupol at home next week. Mindaugas Lukauskis led the winners with 23 points, 6 rebounds and 6 steals. Milko Bjelica and Chuck Eidson each added 16 points and Branko Milisavljevic had 10 points and dished 7 assists for L. Rytas. J.R. Reynolds led Asvel with 17 points. Ali Traore added 16, Amara Sy had 12 and Ben Dewar 10 for the guests. L. Rytas overcame a slow start as Bjelica and Eidson led the hosts to a 24-13 advantage after 10 minutes. Asvel managed to get within 27-21 midway through the second quarter, but an outstanding Lukauskis dominated at both ends to give L. Rytas a 52-36 halftime margin. L. Rytas stayed focused after the break and sealed the outcome long before the final buzzer.

JR Reynolds - Asvel BasketTraore had the honor of scoring the first basket of the 2008-09 Eurocup season before Eric Campbell gave Asvel Basket a 0-4 lead. Marijonas Petravicius sank free throws while Lukauskis struck from downtown for a 5-4 L. Rytas edge. Traore took over with a smooth layup but Bjelica came up with 7 points in a 9-0 L. Rytas run that gave the hosts a 14-6 margin. Sy stepped up with a pair of baskets while a three-point play by Reynolds brought Asvel back to life at 16-13. Martynas Gecevicius hit a triple and Eidson added 5 unanswered points to restore a 24-13 L. Rytas lead after 10 minutes. Laurent Foirest and Traore tried to change things early in the second quarter and free throws by Reynolds made it a 6-point game. L. Rytas found a go-to guy in Lukauskis, who followed free throws with consecutive triples as Asvel called timeout at 39-27. Even after Reynolds made Asvel's first three-pointer, Lukauskis stayed on fire. Eidson provided a highlight with an unbelievable reverse layup that Lukauskis followed with a breakaway dunk. A layup by Bjelica and a free throw by Donatas Zavackas fixed the halftime score at 52-36.

Milko Bjelica - Lietuvos RytasTraore dunked it after the break, but L. Rytas stayed focused and kept attacking the basket. Bjelica followed free throws with a layup and soon a triple by Eidson made it a 19-point game. Reynolds answered from downtown and Campbell threw down a slam, but the hosts did not panic. Lukauskis took over with a huge dunk-and-foul in traffic and Milisavljevic scored to make it 64-46. Dewar stepped up with 5 quick points and Amara Sy swished a jumper, but Eidson and Petravicius kept the hosts way ahead, 70-56, after 30 minutes. Lukauskis and Zavackas struck from downtown right at the start of the fourth quarter and even when Traore stayed hot, he didn't find much help around. Meanwhile, free throws by Zavackas and Michailas Anisimovas practically sealed the outcome, 81-59, with six minutes to go. Everything was said and done as Lietuvos Rytas confirmed its status as one of the teams to beat in the 2008-09 Eurocup season.

Monday, November 24, 2008
Eurocupbasketball.com
Referees: SPIRIDONOS, LEONIDAS (GRE), MARICIC,SASA (SRB), KALPAKAS, APOSTOLOS (SWE)
Attendance: 7500
By Quarter1234
Lietuvos Rytas24281825
Asvel Basket13232018
End of Quarter1234
Lietuvos Rytas24527095
Asvel Basket13365674
Head coach: SIREIKA, ANTANAS
Lietuvos Rytas
# Player Min Pts 2FG
M-A
 3FG
M-A
 FT
M-A
 Rebounds As St To Bl Fouls PIR
O D T Fv Ag Cm Rv
5 BABRAUSKAS, STEPONAS 6:17           1 1 1             2
8 LUKAUSKIS, MINDAUGAS 30:06 23 3/8 4/8 5/6 4 2 6 2 6 4   2 4 4 21
9 PREKEVICIUS, MARIUS 11:12 2 1/1 0/1         1   1       1 2
11 BJELICA, MILKO 25:54 16 5/5 1/3 3/6 3 4 7   1 4     3 3 15
12 ANISIMOV, MICHAILIS 18:23 7 2/4   3/4 1 6 7     1     3 3 10
13 EIDSON, CHUCK 27:59 16 4/7 1/2 5/5   4 4 4 1 2     4 5 20
14 ZAVACKAS, DONATAS 12:21 9 1/1 1/1 4/5   3 3           4 2 9
15 PETRAVICIUS, MARIUS 22:51 9 3/5   3/4 3 2 5     2   2 3 2 6
22 SINICA, JUSTAS 1:01                              
31 GECEVICIUS, MARTYNAS 17:17 3   1/5     1 1           1   -1
33 MILISAVLJEVIC, BRANKO 26:39 10 1/3 2/4 2/2   1 1 7   1     2 2 13
Team           2 1 3               3
Totals 200:00 95 20/34 10/24 25/32 13 25 38 15 8 15 0 4 24 22 100
58.8% 41.7% 78.1%
Min: Minutes played; Pts: Points; 2FG M-A: 2-point Field Goals (Made-Attempted); 3FG M-A: 3-point Field Goals (Made-Attempted); FT M-A: Free Throws (Made-Attempted); Rebounds: O (Offensive), D (Defensive), T (Total); As: Assists; St: Steals; To: Turnovers; Bl: Blocks (Fv: In Favor / Ag: Against); Fouls: Cm (Commited), Rv (Received); PIR: Performance Index Rating
Head coach: COLLET, VINCENT
Asvel Basket
# Player Min Pts 2FG
M-A
 3FG
M-A
 FT
M-A
 Rebounds As St To Bl Fouls PIR
O D T Fv Ag Cm Rv
5 SY, AMARA 29:55 12 4/6 1/3 1/3 1 3 4 2 1 3     4 5 11
6 REYNOLDS, J.R. 26:00 17 3/4 2/7 5/7           3     2 6 10
7 FOIREST, LAURENT 23:24 8 2/4 0/2 4/4           2 1   1 2 4
8 TROUTMAN, CHEVON 22:08 1   0/1 1/2 1 2 3 1 3 1     4 2 3
9 JEANNEAU, AYMERIC 16:05 2 1/3       3 3     2     1    
10 DEWAR, BEN 26:11 10 1/2 2/6 2/2 1 3 4 3 1 4 2   3 2 10
12 TRAORE, ALI 29:16 16 6/9   4/7 2 3 5 1   1 1   3 5 18
13 CAMPBELL, ERIC 26:00 8 3/4 0/1 2/2 1 2 3 1 3 1     4 2 10
15 JOSS-RAUZE, KEVIN DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
21 FOFANA, BANGALY 1:01                              
Team             2 2               2
Totals 200:00 74 20/32 5/20 19/27 6 18 24 8 8 17 4 0 22 24 68
62.5% 25% 70.4%
This game is not yet played

Head Coaches

SIREIKA, ANTANAS
Lietuvos Rytas
"I am happy with the result. It's really good that my players took the game seriously and played really hard. We need to improve some things, but it's a job that I should do. It was opening game and I am happy that my players understood that it's a big honor to open the Eurocup competition well. Of course, we had to change our game plan in a very short time when we found out that Matt Nielsen would not play, but Bjelica and Zavackas stepped up for him."
COLLET, VINCENT
Asvel Basket
"Lietuvos Rytas started strong from the very beginning and we let them feel the rhythm of the game. Mindaugas Lukauskis played very well. After the first quarter, we were behind at 24-13 and it was the worst thing that could happen when you play against such a team as Lietuvos Rytas. We also played bad in the end of the second quarter and when the deficit reached 16 points, it was very hard to take over control of the game. Lietuvos Rytas defended very well against our shooters. We couldn't get through the paint and we missed from outside. We couldn't create open shots. Their defense forced us to play individually. They played more aggressive and they earned that victory."

Players

LUKAUSKIS, MINDAUGAS
Lietuvos Rytas
"We had a good game. We hit some shots and fought from the very heart. Our coach emphasized that we have to work hard for rebounds, because Asvel is very athletic and aggressive under the boards. I think we managed to control the boards pretty well. I had a good game too, but I think the whole team played well. My teammates played good and they created a lot of opportunities for me. We played good on defense and it was one of the most important factors for our victory. I am only little bit disappointed that I turned the ball over way too much, but I am happy with final result."
REYNOLDS, J.R.
Asvel Basket
"Lietuvos Rytas had a very good game. They penetrated a lot and created a lot of shots. They hit a lot of three-pointers and that resulted in such a big final margin. Ali Traore did a good job inside, but they worked hard on him and tried to double-team him, so he had a very tough game. Lietuvos Rytas is a very tough team, they play good on defense and hit threes. However, when we play against Lietuvos Rytas at home it will be different game. We will improve our game and we will be ready."
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