Šiauliai defeats Juventus after Eglinskas criticizes collapse

Utenos „Juventus“ basketball club suffered an 83:71 defeat against the Šiauliai basketball team on October 11, 2026, after squandering a 14-point lead and scoring only three points in the final quarter. Lrytas.lt reported that the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) match saw the hosts seal the victory with a 21:3 fourth-quarter run.”

Utena Collapse In The Fourth Quarter

The visiting Utena team held control through the opening two quarters, establishing a 12-point advantage at halftime with a score of 53:41, according to Krepsinis.net. Delfi.lt reported that the team had previously held a 14-point advantage before the momentum shifted entirely in favor of the hosts.

During the final ten-minute period, the visitors failed to score a single field goal. BasketNews.lt noted that all three points scored by the visitors in the fourth quarter came exclusively from free throws.

Contrasting Reactions From Team Coaches

Utena head coach Laimonas Eglinskas expressed severe frustration during the post-match press conference covered by 15min.lt. BasketNews.lt quoted the coach describing the performance with harsh terms:

Katastrofa pelnyti tris taškus žaidžiant ne rankinį, o krepšinį…

Laimonas Eglinskas

Eglinskas added that the collapse mirrored earlier early-season struggles, including a blown lead against Panevėžio „Lietkabelis“ where the team similarly relinquished a major advantage. In contrast, Šiauliai head coach Darius Songaila expressed disbelief at the final period scoreline while praising his squad’s determination. LRT.lt reported Songaila’s comments regarding the turnaround:”

Kuo labiausiai galiu pasidžiaugti, tai charakteriu žaidėjų, kurie po pertraukos suprato. Čia nebuvo jokių taktikų, nebuvo kažkokių stebuklingų derinių – paprasčiausiai mus pirmoje pusėje apdaužė, apstumdė, apibėgo ir parodė daugiau energijos bei noro.

Darius Songaila

Standout Performances And Season Standings

New arrival Emmanuel Nzekwesi led the losing side with 22 points, 9 rebounds, and 28 efficiency index points, logging 14 points and 18 efficiency points by halftime alone according to BasketNews.lt. However, Eglinskas refused to single out the Dutch center for praise, stating to Delfi.lt that the entire team shared the blame equally for the breakdown.

For the victorious hosts, Selimas Fofana led the scoring effort with 15 points as reported by LRT.lt. Following the result, the Šiauliai club advanced to third place in the LKL standings with a 3-2 record, while the Utena squad dropped to fifth place with 2 wins and 3 losses, as documented by Delfi.lt.