PAOK’s run in the Basketball Champions League for 2022/23 ended on the evening of January 17 at Rytas Arena in Lithuania. Dikefalos lost to Ritas Vilnius (82-63) for a second time, eliminating them from the continuation of FIBA’s top interclub competition.

Despite a good start and an aggressive rebound, Aris Lykogiannis’ team couldn’t keep up with the hosts’ frenetic pace, paid for the mistake and suffered the defeat that marked the end of the European trajectory for the season.

On the other hand, Ritas Vilnius will continue in the “16” stage of Basketball Champions League and will participate in a group with Bonn, Manresa and Bahcesehir.

Marcus Foster leads with 19 points (with 4/8 two-pointers, 3/6 three-pointers and 2/3 shots), 4 rebounds, 1 assist but also 6 penalties in 29’33” of the winners’ list of involvement. As for PAOK? Jalen Riley was hopelessly alone on offense and finished the night with 21 points (with 3/8 two-pointers and 5/9 three-pointers), 5 rebounds, 4 steals but also 6 turnovers in the remaining 31’10” at the Rytas Floor Arena.

The race

PAOK started the game with a lot of misses (even free ones), but accumulated offensive rebounds helped them stay close to Ritas Vilnius (18-15 at 10′).

The hosts controlled the pace and the fight, but the visitors always found a way to limit the extent of the damage. Mainly because Jaylen Riley was “there” to score personal baskets and keep PAOK within shooting range (relative) (41-37 at 20′).

In the second half, however, Ritas Vilnius quickly gained a clear victory. Marcus Foster did his thing, with short procedures (47:37 in 22′) brought the difference into the double-digit range and laid the foundation for the Lithuanian victory. Despite the efforts of Jaylen Riley and the fights near the basket, nothing changed in essence for PAOK.

The -13 (63:50) of the 30th minute impressively reflected the difference in performance and the level of difficulty of the task that Aris Lykogiannis set for the players in view of the final phase. Something that was confirmed in practice, because the black and white failed to turn the situation around, knowing about the defeat that meant being excluded from the Basketball Champions League.

THE REFEREES: Glicic-Krejic-Calatrava.

THE DECADES: 18-15, 41-37, 63-50, 82-63.

RITA VILNIUS (Zibenas): Ekontas 16 (7/10 twos, 2/3 shots, 7 rebounds), Normantas 7 (1), Radzevicius 6 (1 threes, 8 rebounds), Ulekas 3 (1), Varadi 8 (2/6 threes , 6 rebounds), Foster 19 (4/8 2s, 3/6 3s, 2/3 field goals, 4 rebounds, 6 turnovers), Fredrickson 12 (1/5 3s, 6 assists), Kairis 6, Masioulis 3 (1 ), Williams 2.

PAOK (Lykogiannis): Franke 8 (2/11 shots, 4 assists), Saloustros 7 (1/5 three-pointers, 7 rebounds), Seibert 3 (1), Slaftsakis, Tsiakmas 3 (1), Hunts 8 (2/8 shots, 1/3 shots), Kaklamanakis, Kamberidis, Margaritis 6 (2), Poli 6, Renfro 4 (7 rebounds, 3 assists), Riley 21 (3/8 2-pointers, 5/9 3-pointers, 6 turnovers). , 4 steals).

Rita Vilnius team stats: 18/35 2-pointers, 10/25 3-pointers, 16/22 shots, 41 rebounds (25 defensive + 16 offensive), 13 assists, 15 turnovers, 7 steals, 2 blocks.

PAOK team stats: 13/33 2-pointers, 11/30 3-pointers, 4/9 shots, 34 rebounds (19 defense + 15 offense), 11 assists, 17 turnovers, 7 steals, 1 block.