BC Lietkabelis Panevezys — CBet Jonava: 65:71, LKL

Jonava claimed a 71-65 victory over Lietkabelis Panevezys in the Lithuanian Basketball League on Friday evening. The away side moved clear of the visitors at home, extending their winning run while the hosts saw another opportunity slip. We had backed the home side at 68 per cent confidence, but the match took a different shape than expected.

By then the visitors had found a rhythm that the hosts couldn't quite match. Jonava's shooting was sharper from the field, and they didn't let the tie slip despite a steady pressure from the home crowd. The visitors picked up two more steals than their opponents and moved the ball with more purpose.

Shooting efficiency tells the story here. Jonava hit 25 of 55 field goals compared to Lietkabelis's 20 from 54 attempts. The visitors also converted 12 of 18 free throws while the hosts managed 16 from 22. Three-point work was roughly even, though the visitors took more attempts from distance.

Rebounding was dead level at 31 each, but Jonava collected more defensive boards — 24 to 22 — and added two blocks where Lietkabelis registered none. The visitors also recorded 13 assists against 11, showing a slightly more connected offensive flow.

The result moves Jonava further away from the bottom half of the table while Lietkabelis remain fifth after 32 games. The hosts sit on 15 wins and 17 defeats, while the visitors have 9 victories and 23 losses. Neither side has played enough to make a statement about the season, but the gap in experience is beginning to show.

Lietkabelis's recent form has been inconsistent — a loss to Roma, then a heavy defeat to Žalgiris Kaunas before picking up against Bosna. Jonava came off a poor showing against Šiauliai and haven't found their feet since. This result means both sides will need to regroup quickly before the next round.