Lietkabelis secured a hard-fought 85-79 victory over BC Tauragė in Lietuvos Krepsinio Lyga action on September 26, 2026, at Cido Arena in Panevėžys. The win improves Lietkabelis's position in the LKL standings and hands BC Tauragė their third loss of the young season.

Match Overview

Lietkabelis controlled the game from the opening tip, but never completely shook off a determined BC Tauragė side. The home team built a four-point lead after the first quarter and maintained a slim advantage for most of the night. A late fourth-quarter surge finally put the game out of reach.

• First Quarter: Lietkabelis 22, BC Tauragė 18
• Second Quarter: Lietkabelis 20, BC Tauragė 22
• Third Quarter: Lietkabelis 21, BC Tauragė 19
• Fourth Quarter: Lietkabelis 22, BC Tauragė 20
• Final: Lietkabelis 85, BC Tauragė 79

Key Moments

The game turned in the final five minutes. With Lietkabelis clinging to a 72-70 lead, Mantas Rubštavičius sparked a 7-0 run with a steal and a fast-break layup, followed by a three-pointer from the wing. BC Tauragė answered with back-to-back threes to cut the deficit to three, but Lietkabelis sealed the win at the free-throw line, making six of eight attempts in the final minute.

Another crucial moment came late in the third quarter when Mindaugas Kupšas blocked a shot at the rim, leading to a transition dunk that gave Lietkabelis a five-point cushion heading into the final period.

Tactical Story

Lietkabelis exploited their size advantage inside, scoring 44 points in the paint and out-rebounding BC Tauragė 38-29. The home team's half-court offense relied on high-low action between Kupšas and the guards, which consistently generated open looks. Defensively, Lietkabelis switched aggressively on screens, forcing BC Tauragė into contested three-pointers. Tauragė stayed in the game by shooting 38% from beyond the arc, but they struggled to contain Lietkabelis's dribble penetration, especially in the clutch.

Standout Players

• Mantas Rubštavičius (Lietkabelis): 22 points, 6 assists, 3 steals. He was the catalyst down the stretch.
• Mindaugas Kupšas (Lietkabelis): 15 points, 12 rebounds, 3 blocks. A dominant presence in the paint.
• Dovydas Romanovas (BC Tauragė): 18 points, 5 rebounds. Kept his team within striking distance.
• Tomas Pačėsas (BC Tauragė): 14 points, 4 assists. Hit several tough shots.

Season Impact

With the win, Lietkabelis improves to 3-1 on the season and strengthens their case for a top-four finish in the Lietuvos Krepsinio Lyga. BC Tauragė drops to 1-3 and remains in the lower half of the standings. The two teams will meet again in Tauragė later in the season, where BC Tauragė will look to avenge this narrow defeat.