Vilka viškis saw off Kretinga 84:65 in the NKL on Friday evening. The hosts moved two points clear of their visitors in fifth place, while Kretinga remain deep in the bottom half of the table. It was a straightforward evening for the home side, who had the game won inside twenty minutes and never looked back.
The result confirms what many had expected going in. We had backed the hosts at 59 per cent confidence, and they delivered when it mattered. The old head settled them down after a shaky start, and the visitors simply could not find a rhythm against the press.
Kretinga came in with nothing to prove, but that did not stop them from making life difficult for themselves. They missed too many easy shots in the opening quarter and dallied on the ball when quick decisions were needed. By then Vilka viškis had built a cushion that proved insurmountable.
The visitors had a chance to mount a comeback after half-time, but the home defence held firm. Kretinga's shooting dropped off sharply, and they had nothing to do all evening in the final period. The margin of victory tells you everything about how the game played out.
Both sides have now played 32 matches, though the gap between them remains significant. Vilka viškis sit on 18 wins with only four more games left, while Kretinga have lost seventeen and are watching the season slip away. The hosts are unbeaten in five away from home in their last few outings.
Kretinga's recent form offers little cause for optimism. They lost to Neptunas Klaipeda last time out and have struggled against similar opposition all season. The pressure will now fall on their coaching staff to find a response before the final fixtures.
