In a hard-fought EuroLeague Round 20 road battle that went down to the wire, Zalgiris Kaunas fell just short, losing to Virtus Bologna 79-83 on Tuesday evening.

After a slow start, Zalgiris finished the first quarter with a strong run, cutting a large deficit to just three points, 22-25. However, after closing the gap to one point early in the second, the offense stalled in the final minutes, leading to a 34-43 halftime deficit.

The third quarter was a period of runs, with an aggressive start from Moses Wright and a late push from Azuolas Tubelis helping to trim a double-digit deficit down to seven, 56-63.

A spirited fourth-quarter comeback, capped by a crucial run to tie the game at 74-74, was ultimately undone by costly late-game turnovers that allowed the hosts to regain control.

The team fought back to get within two points, 79-81, in the final minute, but late free throws from the hosts sealed the outcome. The loss brings the team’s record to 11-9 in the standings.

Azuolas Tubelis scored a team-high 22 points. Moses Wright was a strong presence with 19 points, Nigel Williams-Goss added 17, and Sylvain Francisco orchestrated the offense with a double-double of 10 points and 10 assists.

For the hosts, Derrick Alston Jr. had 20 points and six rebounds. Matt Morgan added 15 points, Luca Vildoza had 12, while Carsen Edwards and Saliou Niang each got 11 for Virtus.