Serbia-Montenegro defeat Lithuania for title in Olympic tuneup
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-08-04 09:09

Igor Rakocevic and Milos Vujanic combined for 31 points for Serbia-Montenegro in a surprisingly easy 93-80 victory over 2003 European champion Lithuania on Tuesday night.

Playing in front of its home fans, the team formerly known as Yugoslavia had its best pre-Olympic performance to win the Diamond Ball Tournament.

Serbia-Montenegro, winner of the 2002 World Basketball Championships, plays an exhibition game Friday against the United States, which lost by 17 points to Italy on Tuesday for its most lopsided loss since professionals began playing in international competitions in 1992.

Yao Ming was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, but China finished fourth after committing a ghastly 36 turnovers in an 84-74 loss to Argentina.

Australia defeated Angola 70-64 for fifth place.

Rakocevic, who spent one unproductive season with the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves, scored 19 points and shot 6-for-9 from the field. Vujanic, whose NBA rights are owned by the Phoenix Suns, had 12 points, three assists and three steals.

Dejan Bodiroga added 15 points and Dejan Tomasevic had 13 for Serbia-Montenegro, which lost twice to Spain and once to Lithuania in previous tuneup games.

Darius Songaila of the Sacramento Kings scored 18 to lead Lithuania.

Vule Avdalovic hit a buzzer-beating jumper to end the first quarter to give the host team the lead for good, and Rakocevic's 3-pointer started a 12-0 run in the second quarter that put Serbia-Montenegro in control. Lithuania got no closer then eight the rest of the way.

The crowd gave a loud cheer during the third quarter when the final score of the U.S.-Italy game was announced over the public address system.

"I'm shocked, I'm really shocked," said Lithuania guard Sarunas Jasikevicius, who missed a 3-pointer just before the buzzer in the semifinals of the 2000 Olympics to allow to U.S. team to escape with a two-point victory. "But you know, they're also people. In a one-game situation anything can happen."

Lithuania had been playing well in the tournament, using a 17-0 fourth-quarter run to defeat Argentina Monday night and making a similar run Sunday to defeat Angola.

"We were just a little out of form and a little bit tired, and we don't want to be our best at this point," Jasikevicius said. "We have some potential. Whether we're going to bring it to Athens, it's up to us."

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