Lithuania unleashed a first-quarter storm that set the tone for its thrashing of Egypt, 93-67, in the opening game of its FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Group D campaign on Friday evening at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Ranked eighth in the world, Lithuania opened up a 14-point lead after the first quarter, 26-12, with their star center Jonas Valanciunas contributing 11 points immediately.
“First game, it’s different. A lot of emotions, a lot of expectations. Congratulations to our team, and we hope we go far in this tournament,” said Lithuania head coach Kazys Maksvytis.
However, the 55th-ranked Pharaohs wouldn’t go away, staying within striking distance in the third period and closing to as close as eight points after an and-one opportunity by Assem Marei with 7:02 left, making it 42-50.
The Lithuanians, however, remained composed and unfazed, consistently extending their lead every time the Egyptians attempted to chip away. They responded with a 20-11 finishing run to re-establish a 17-point margin entering the fourth quarter, 70-53.
Lithuania wreaked even more havoc in the fourth quarter, leading by as much as 31 points after a three-pointer by Tomas Dimsa at the 2:54 mark.
Valanciunas, who plays as a center for the New Orleans Pelicans in the NBA, recorded 15 points and 10 rebounds in just 17 minutes and 29 seconds of playing time.
Leading the scoring for the 2010 bronze medalists was Margisis Normantas with 18 points on a clean 6-of-8 shooting from the field, while Eimantas Bendzius added 10 points.
All 12 players of Lithuania contributed to the scoring column, with 11 of them scoring four points or more.
Marei led the Egyptians with 14 points, nine rebounds, and three steals, while Amir El Gendy supported him with 13 points.
Lithuania now sets its sights on Mexico, who are also 0-1, while Egypt aims to secure its first win against Montenegro. Both games will take place on Sunday at the same venue in Pasay.
The Scores:
Lithuania 93 – Normantas 18, Valanciunas 15, Bendzius 10, Kuzminskas 9, Brazdeikis 8, Sedekerskis 7, Dimsa 6, Sirvydis 6, Kariniauskas 4, Maldunas 4, Motiejunas 4, Jokubaitis 2.
Egypt 67 – Marei 14, El Gendy 13, Mahmoud 11, Amin 10, Zahran 8, Oraby 4, Aboushousha 3, Gardner 2, Moussa 2, Hussein 0, Elgizawy 0, Abdelgawad 0.
Quarterscores: 26-12, 46-34, 70-53, 93-67.
