Rytas falls to UNICS despite 17 points by Sirvydis
UNICS Kazan overcame missing players to defeat visiting Lietuvos Rytas 86-73 to stay unbeaten at 2-0 in Group D on Wednesday. Rytas fell to 1-1. Jamar Smith had 19 points and Maksim Sheleketo 15 for the winners. Trent Locket combined 13 with 9 rebounds and 4 steals while Pierria Henry scored 10 and dished 9 assists.
Teenager Deividas Sirvydis led Rytas with 17 points, while Dominique Sutton added 14, Eimantas Bendzius 12 and Martynas Echodas 10. UNICS was without Anton Ponkrashov, Raymar Morgan and Melvin Ejim due to injuries. Smith had 4 points and Sheleketo his first 3 as UNICS started 11-6. Rytas soon gained a 19-20 edge after one quarter on 8 points from Echodas. Ties and lead changes filled the second quarter as the defenses held sway. Neither team could escape until Lockett's 8 points and Sheleketo's second triple suddenly made it 41-32 at the half.
Sheleketo's four-point play helped boost the difference to 47-34 before Sirvydis caught fire with 7 quick points, Echodas downed a hook and Bendzius drained a triple at 50-49. Triples by Kostas Kaimakoglou and Errick McCollum ended the threat, but Sirvydis made his own for a 58-52 score after 30 minutes. Sirvydis dropped 5 more points to start the final quarter, but Smith was just as hot. When Sheleketo joined him with 5 more points and Henry scored in close, it was 72-60, and the hosts were on their way to victory.