BEIJING, CHINA Lithuania improved to a perfect 4-0 in the 2008 Olympic Games with an 86-73 victory over Croatia in Group A Preliminary Round action on Saturday. Former Seton Hall men’s basketball standout, Rimas Kaukenas, played sparingly.
Kaukenas got into early foul trouble and logged only 10 minutes of action for the game. The native of Vilnius, Lithuania picked up three fouls and one turnover with no offensive statistics.
With the victory, Lithuania clinches the top seed in Group A and guarantees itself a spot in the quarterfinals. Lithuania has one more game in preliminary action. They will face Australia on August 18. The top four teams in each group will advance to the quarterfinals which begin on August 20.
One of the great foreign players in Seton Hall history, Kaukenas currently ranks 23rd on the school’s all-time scoring list with 1,292 career points. The Vilnius, Lithuania native ranks among the Pirates’ Top-10 in career field goals made, field goals attempted and free throw percentage. In 2000, his senior year, Kaukenas helped guide Seton Hall to a 22-win season which featured a run to the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet-16.
Since graduation, Kaukenas has enjoyed a successful professional basketball career in Europe. Currently, he plays for Montepaschi Siena in Italy and has helped guide them to two consecutive “Serie A” national championships. “Serie A” is Italy’s highest level of competition.
