Roma 92-87 Lietkabelis: 38:59 in front, zero seconds behind

Highlights

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38 minutes and 59 seconds. That is how long BC Roma spent in front against Panevėžio Lietkabelis. The visitors' share of lead time: zero. The final gap was still only five points, 92-87, because Roma spent the evening handing the ball back — 17 turnovers to 9, and just 4 steals to Lietkabelis' 7.

The opening quarter set the tone, 22-11, with Roma's lead peaking at 14. Lietkabelis answered with a 9-point run in the second period and took that frame 27-21, but the scoreboard never flipped. Roma edged the third 27-25 and carried the cushion into a nervous fourth. Even the detail stats leaned both ways: 16 assists to 15 for the visitors, 7 steals to 4.

The fourth tightened, 22-24, and the ending got noisy. Erik Stevenson's three made it 88-82 — part of his 11 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks. Alex Schumacher answered from deep, 88-85. Ognjen Jaramaz cut it to one, 88-87. Then Marko Simonović shut the door: a basket for 90-87, two free throws for 91-87, one more for 92-87. Game over.

Simonović finished with 21 points on 75% shooting plus 7 rebounds, matching Nico Mannion's 21 points on 64% with 4 rebounds and 4 assists. Lietkabelis leaned on Ivan Fevrier's 15 points on 56%, Jaramaz's 13 and Schumacher's 12 with 6 assists, and they crashed the offensive glass harder than the hosts.

The difference lived elsewhere — 6 blocks to 1, 26 defensive rebounds to 20, and just enough stops down the stretch. Roma turned it over nearly twice as often, dropped two quarters, and still never trailed for a single second. Ugly wins count the same in the Eurocup.