Lithuania faced a tough opponent in the first half but took off in the second to defeat Mexico, 96-84, and score their first win at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Joshua Ibarra and his teammates started with a 0-9 deficit. Lithuania calmly went on an 11-2 run to quickly tie the game before going up 29-26 at the end of the first period. The second quarter unfolded more predictably, with the Europeans steadily extending their double-digit lead thanks to Marius Grigoniswho scored 16 of his 21 points in the first half. Lithuania finally broke the deadlock after halftime, extending their lead to 25 points. NBA star Domantas Sabonis collected a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds in 26 minutes. Tadas Sedekerskis (12 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists) and Lukas Lekavicius (10 points and 5 rebounds) also scored in double figures for Maksvyitis’ men. Joshua Ibarra had a great performance down low for Mexico and engaged in an entertaining duel with Sabonis. The center finished with 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the field. Fabian Jaimes and Karim Rodriguez added 13 and 11 points, respectively, while veteran Paul Stoll had 9 points and 12 assists.
