Tuesday, September 22

RSSB Tigers 89-107 Rytas Vilnius

RSSB Tigers were handed a tough welcome to the FIBA Intercontinental Cup on Tuesday, September 22, suffering an 89-107 defeat to Lithuania’s Rytas Vilnius in their Group A opener.

The game, played at Beijing’s National Indoor Stadium, was closely contested in the first half, with Rytas taking a narrow 47-39 lead into the break. However, the Lithuanian side began to pull away in the second half, capitalising on its advantage in rebounding and shooting efficiency.

Representing Africa as the reigning BAL champions, the Tigers made a strong start, edging Rytas 19-18 in the opening quarter. Rytas responded in the second quarter, outscoring Henry Mwinuka’s side 26-20 to take an eight-point lead at halftime, despite the Tigers having led by a similar margin earlier in the game.

Rytas took firm control after the break, winning the third quarter 35-20 and extending their advantage to 23 points heading into the final period. The Tigers showed fighting spirit in the fourth quarter, outscoring Rytas 30-28, but the deficit proved too large to overcome.

German forward Kay Bruhnke led the Lithuanian side with 20 points, eight rebounds and three assists. For the Tigers, Craig Randall also finished with 20 points and four rebounds, despite struggling with his shooting from beyond the arc.

The Tigers will return to action on Wednesday when they face hosts Shanghai Sharks in their second Group A game.