VILNIUS (Lithuania) - Lithuania came from behind to beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 78-73 in front of a relieved home crowd in Vilnius.
Ending the window on a high note was badly needed after a difficult run of results. They were ruthlessly dismissed by Türkiye in their previous game, but an important victory sees Lithuania improve their record to 4-4.
Though there is still lots work to do in the race to Qatar, the result provides renewed belief, particularly after overcoming a strong Bosnia and Herzegovina side featuring NBA talents Jusuf Nurkic and Luka Garza.
Ązuolas Tubelis led Lithuania with 23 points on 10-for-18 shooting, although this was very much a team victory. Lithuania desperately needed a response after a subpar first half in which their offensive game failed to click, and they trailed for much of the opening 20 minutes.
Despite their struggles, the hosts stayed within touching distance, heading into halftime 46-42 down. There were reasons for optimism, with Nurkic missing his first five shots while also finding himself in foul trouble.
Lithuania capitalised after the break, producing a much-improved third quarter to turn the game around. Their defensive intensity increased while the offense finally began to find its rhythm, allowing them to take a 61-58 lead heading into the final period.
From there, Lithuania kept their nerve to hold on to their advantage throughout the fourth and secured a valuable victory and a much-needed confidence boost.
Bosnia and Herzegovina drop to 3-5 with both teams on the outside looking in when it comes to the battle to secure qualification via a top three finish.
FIBA