Tunisia might have lost its first four games of the Olympic basketball tournament, but it came out looking ready to defeat a Lithuanian squad that had just put some fear into the United States. But Lithuania’s superior talent shone through as a dominant defensive performance in the second half earned them a 76-63 win.
Tunisia Vs. Lithuania, Olympics 2012: Balanced Effort Lets Lithuania Pull Away For 76-63 Win
Tunisia showed its first-quarter prowess by leading early against the Americans, but it looked even better to start Monday, leading 18-7 after 10 minutes of play, ending the period on an 11-0 run. Lithuania wouldn’t come back until late in the third quarter, when its defense turned on and virtually stopped Tunisia’s scoring. The Lithuanians went on a 22-2 run and outscored the Tunisians by 17 in the final quarter.
NBA washouts Darius Songaila and Sarunas Jasikevicius led the way for Lithuania with 13 points apiece, as well as five assists for Jasikevicius. Tunisia’s Amine Rzig led all scorers with 17 -- including three-for-three shooting from downtown -- and Salah Mejri had a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds.
The game was Tunisia’s last of the Olympics regardless. Lithuania will go on to face the top team in Group B, Russia, after finishing 3-2 in group play -- a loss could have seen them fall out of the quarterfinals should Nigeria have been able to earn a win Monday against France.
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