Dominykas Grunkis went 6-for-7 from deep for a game-high 28 points
Zalgiris outlasts INSEP, 82-87, in overtime
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3 Min lectura
U18 Zalgiris Kaunas grabbed a hard-fought 82-87 victory over U18 Pole France INSEP in a thrilling overtime battle on Thursday. In a game of two halves, INSEP was superior before the break, but Zalgiris bounced back to secure a 63-73 lead with 4 minutes to go. A late run by the French side sent the duel to overtime, where the Lithuanians prevailed to win the thriller.
Dominykas Grunkis recorded a game-high 28 points, having gone a sublime 6-for-7 from deep. Dovydas Buika netted 24, including a huge triple that put the game to bed, with Kajus Mikalauskas bagging 12 points, 5 of which were scored in overtime.
Nathan Soliman paced INSEP with 15 points, Hugo Yimga Moukouri had 15, Noa Kouakou-Heugue registered 14 and Cameron Houindo added 10.
INSEP turned its 7 offensive boards in the first quarter into 9 second-chance points, taking a 22-14 advantage after 10 minutes. Inside dominance allowed the French side to open a double-digit lead, but a 2-7 run late in the second quarter brought Zalgiris within 39-33 at halftime.
A 0-11 run fueled by Buika, who scored 9 in that stretch, gave the Lithuanians their first lead of the game, 43-46. What followed was an exchange of blows that saw Zalgiris maintain a 54-57 edge heading into the closing quarter.
Then, Zalgiris fired on all cylinders from beyond the arc to open a 61-71 lead. But Grunkis fouled out with 02:46 remaining and INSEP responded with a 14-4 surge, sending the game to overtime. The clash turned into a back-and-forth affair, with Buika nailing a dagger three to make it 81-86, practically finishing the game off.
