Press release

 

The Siauliai Nike International Junior Tournament has its first winner, and it is the reigning continental champions Lietuvos Rytas. To win the first edition of the Siauliai NIJT, Lietuvos Rytas beat the arch-rival Zalgiris Kaunas 100-81 by leading from start to finish in Saturday's all-Lithuanian title game. 

 

Rytas joins KK Spars Sarajevo, winner of the recent Torneo Citta di Roma, and FIATC Joventut Badalona of Spain, winner of the Ciutat de L'Hospitalet tourney, as the first three teams qualified to the NIJT finals in London from May 9 to 13, running parallel to the Turkish Airlines Euroleague Final Four! Tournament MVP Edvinas Seskus led Rytas in the title game with 26 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists, while Gediminas Zalalis had 25 points and 8 rebounds in victory. Other than Seskus, the all-Tournament team also features Karolis Saruskas of Zalgiris, Pavel Sizov of CSKA Moscow, Joschka Ferner of BBA Ludwigsburg and Marko Arapovic of Cibona Zagreb.

 

Earlier on Saturday, CSKA Moscow rallied from a double-digit deficit to down VEF Riga 77-81 and win the third place. 

 

All-Tournament Team:

 

MVP - Edvinas Seskus (’95): 17.3 points, 6.3 assists, 5.8 rebounds, 0.8 steals in 29:48 minutes

Ernestas Serkevicius ('95): 14 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.8 steals in 22:35

Pavel Sizov (’95): 16.5 points, 1.8 steals, 1.5 blocks, 1.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals in 27:57 minutes

Joschka Ferner (’96): 18.7 points, 5 rebounds, 1.7 steals, 1.3 assists in 27:58 minutes

Marko Arapovic (’96): 26.7 points, 10.7 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals in 41:16 minutes

 

 

Photo: G. Siuparys/lrytas.lt