In the M50/55 age category, Perlas got off to a thumping start in the tournament, taking the first game 91-49 against Latvian team Virtuozo from Riga. The Lithuanians from Vilnius left the home side no chances, breaking away to double-digits from the early going and cruising safely in front the whole game.
Arunas Grigas was the leading scorer with 21 points, Romualdas Brazauskas added 18 points and seven assists, while Eugenijus Kaziliunas chipped in with 14 points for the winners from Vilnius.
For Virtuozo, Andris Liepins collected 16 points and nine rebounds after playing the whole 40 minutes, while Dainis Dauksts contributed with nine points and 16 rebounds.
Two excellent quarters were enough for Raviollo to earn an 86-60 victory against Salilita. The team from Saint Petersburg outscored their rivals from Vilnius 23-12 in the first period and 24-10 in the fourth period, which was the main reason behind the 26-point overall advantage.
Vladimir Pechenitsyn scored 24 points, Boris Popkov added 20 points, while Aleksei Ugriumov finished the game with 13 points and 9 rebounds for Raviollo.
Aivaras Raskauskas was the top scorer for the Lithuanian team with 15 points, Silvijus Zivatkauskas had 14, while Stanislovas Kaulius chipped in with 13.
