KAUNAS, Lithuania — Žalgiris have maintained their perfect start to the Baltic Basketball League season holding off Ventspils 82-78.

Having shown mixed form in Europe this season, Žalgiris have looked much stronger at home in the Baltics, sweeping aside opponents with ease. Their stats make for impressive reading, winning home games by an average of just over 18 points and away games by an average of 25 points.

In comparison Ventspils have had a slow start and had only really been finding their feet in their most recent outings. With this in mind, Žalgiris were favored to sweep Ventspils aside with ease.

Racing out to a 7-0 lead it looked like the pundits were on the money in predicting another easy Žalgiris victory. However, Ventspils soon started to show some offensive prowess of their own as they began to pull back the deficit and create a lead of their own by the end of the quarter.

It was a lead they held onto up until half-time as Žalgiris went into the break in the unfamiliar position of being behind by four points (36-40).

After the break the Kaunas faithful saw a renewed effort from their boys in green as they began to take control of the game. Dainius Šalenga was particularly prominent in the revival as he began to score some clinical points. It was enough to give his team a three point buffer heading into the final quarter (57-54).

Ventspils tried to get back into the game in the final quarter but they were matched point for point by Žalgiris who managed to maintain their unbeaten record.