PRISTINA (Kosovo) - Lithuanian powerhouse Raudondvaris Hoptrans (LTU) were lethal as they started their second-half of the season push with victory at the FIBA 3x3 Pristina Challenger on July 19-20.
Here is what happened in the eighth Challenger of the season. The winner: Raudondvaris Hoptrans (LTU)
They were: No.1 points scored & shooting value
The Lithuanians were not overstretched in the first-half of the season, but did pack a punch whenever they stepped on the half-court with their highlight being a triumph at WT Chengdu.
Raudondvaris Hoptrans put the foot down after the break and lived up to their status as the No.1 seed. Superstars Aurelijus Pukelis and Marijus Uzupis were unstoppable with a combined 85 points as they delivered a mighty one-two punch that ignited Raudondvaris' unbeaten run.
It wasn't easy though with the Lithuanians having to muster all their trademark experience and resiliency to pull out four straight wins by three points or less before a less stressful time against Valencia (ESP) in the final.
The runner-up: Valencia (ESP)
They were: No.1 fewest points allowed
The momentum built from Spain's historic World Cup triumph has continued with Valencia (ESP) storming into the final with an eye-catching display. They had to do it the hard way through QD, but Valencia proved they had a lot of energy as they thrashed Riffa (BRN) and NY Harlem (USA) in pool play.
The Spaniards were on fire, draining buckets at will to blow past Bordeaux (FRA) and emerging Baskets Bonn Telekom (GER) in the knockouts. They were finally underdone by the veteran Lithuanians, but the tidal wave of confidence for Spanish 3x3 is clearly on show.
Ivan Aurrecoechea is turning into a star before our eyes as he continues to play with the type of swagger that defines a World Cup champion.
The Final: Raudondvaris Hoptrans 21-Valencia 12
Both teams had contrasting fortunes heading into the game, with the Lithuanians being severely tested while Valencia had been in cruise control. The Lithuanians knew they had to start quickly in a bid to halt Valencia's growing confidence and superstar Pukelis was in attack mode from the get go.
The Lithuanians built an early buffer and Valencia were up against it for the first time in the tournament. Aurrecoechea was a one-man band for the Spaniards in a truly dominant inside game, but MVP Pukelis matched him and had more support as Raundondvaris claimed their second title of the season.
The reward: Three tickets to WT Lausanne Raudondvaris Hoptrans, Valencia and Carolina qualified for WT Lausanne on August 15-16. Final Standings: 1. Raudondvaris Hoptrans (LTU) 2. Valencia (ESP) 3. Carolina (PUR) 4. Baskets Bonn Telekom (GER) 5. Shinagawa CITY EXE (JPN) Top Scorers: 1. Marijus Uzupis (Raudondvaris Hoptrans, LTU) 44 pts 2. Aurelijus Pukelis (Raudondvaris Hoptrans, LTU) 41 pts 3. Fabian Giessmann (Baskets Bonn Telekom, GER) 36 pts 4. Ivan Aurrecoechea (Valencia, ESP) 34 pts 5. Antonio Ralat (Carolina, PUR) 25 pts Key Stats: - Aurrecoechea had a monster 8 points and 11 rebounds against Riffa in pool play. - Antoine Eito's had a triple-five of 8 points, 10 rebounds and 5 highlights for Bordeaux (FRA) in their pool win against Adazi (LAT). - Carolina's pool victory over Washington DC (USA) went for 6'43" in playing time to be the shortest game in the tournament.
FIBA