By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Fuenlabrada advanced to the Eurocup Top 16 in a stylish manner, beating Lietuvos Rytas perhaps more easily than what the final 81 – 70 shows. The Lithuanians were, more or less, indifferent since Khimki’s victory over Bilbao had automatically sent them to the next stage.
This result also eliminates Bilbao since they could only qualify with a Rytas’ loss. Which didn’t happen to be the case especially after Fuenlabrada entered the game aggressively on both ends, making an early point on how badly it needed the victory.
The Spanish team led 25 – 14 at the end of the first quarter and even though their opponents reacted a bit to close the halftime with the score 44 – 35, the third period showed the direction the game would take.
Fuenlabrada kept preserving a safe lead and then fired up its engines to take a distance of 17, 72 – 55 early in the final quarter. Combined with their desire to win, it was more than enough.
Pako Cruz dropped 15 points, Ian O’ Leary 11 while Blagota Sekulic scored 10 and grabbed 6 rebounds for the winners. Corey Fisher led Rytas with 16 points plus 6 assists, Arturas Gudaitis had 12 and 7 rebounds and David Logan 11 plus 7 assists.