Lithuanian U17 basketball players reach quarterfinals without stumbling
Lithuania's junior basketball team defeated Japan convincingly in the round of 16 to advance to the quarterfinals of the U17 World Cup, where they will face Serbia.
Lithuania's U17 men's basketball team cruised past Japan 98-62 in the round of 16 at the World Cup in Istanbul, securing a spot in the quarterfinals. Guard Gabrielius Buividas of Vilnius "Rytas" led the winners with 20 points and eight rebounds. He averages 15 points and 4.5 rebounds in the tournament.
In another round-of-16 game, Puerto Rico beat Ivory Coast 101-85 despite 36 points from Dwight Gaynes, who leads the competition in scoring with an average of 29.5 points. Turkey edged Venezuela 78-73 in a tight contest, having earlier survived a double-overtime thriller against New Zealand 112-100. Turkish guard Darian Karatas scored 37 points, hitting six of nine three-pointers.
New Zealand squandered a 17-point lead in the final quarter, and Jayden Cecil's 42 points were not enough to avoid defeat. The USA continued its dominance, winning every game by at least 30 points, including a 141-85 rout of Cameroon.
The quarterfinals on July 3 feature: Canada vs. Australia, USA vs. Puerto Rico, Lithuania vs. Serbia, and Turkey vs. France.
