LiAngelo, LaMelo Ball Combine for 36 Points in Vytautas Win over Vytis

Vytautas earned a slim 93-89 victory over BC Vytis on Wednesday at Prienai Arena in Prienai, Lithuania, to remain unbeaten through three games in the Big Baller Brand Challenge. 

LiAngelo Ball led all scorers with 22 points, and he added seven rebounds. LaMelo Ball scored 14 points before fouling out with 1:57 left in the game.

Overtime shared highlights from the contest:

Vytautas coasted in its last game in the Big Baller Brand Challenge. It defeated Lietuvos Rytas' second team 130-93, with the Ball brothers combining to score 60 points.

Wednesday's game presented a much different test, though. Whereas Rytas-2 is the junior team for Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) squad BC Lietuvos-Rytas, BC Vytis plays in Lithuanian's National Basketball League (NKL), which is a step below the LKL. Vytis also leads the NKL with a 23-3 record.

Because of that, LiAngelo and LaMelo Ball faced significant resistance from the opposition. 

LaMelo especially had a game to forget, as Vytis did a great job of locking him down on the perimeter. He struggled to find a groove on the offensive end, and his defense suffered as a result of early foul trouble.

The 16-year-old did, however, hit a clutch three-pointer with 2:43 remaining to put Vytautas ahead 86-84, and his team didn't trail the rest of the game. Marijus Uzupis brought Vytis to within a point, 89-90, inside the final minute, but Vytautas held on.

LiAngelo was also instrumental in helping his team overcome a halftime deficit. Especially in the third quarter, he was a nuisance to the Vytis defense inside the paint and from beyond the arc. His work on the boards helped create second-chance opportunities for his teammates as well.

Big Baller Brand celebrated LiAngelo's performance:

The Big Baller Brand Challenge doesn't resume for nearly a week. Vytautas will host BC Dzukija on Jan. 23 before concluding the event Jan. 28 against BC Jonava.

In the meantime, Vytautas will shift its focus to an LKL matchup with Pieno Zvaigzdes on Sunday. The team will be looking to snap a six-game losing skid in the Lithuanian league. Vytautas and Zvaigzdes split their previous two meetings this season.