Granitas-Karys defeats HC Vilnius 32–26 in Baltic Handball League clash

September 26, 2026

Granitas-Karys opened their Baltic Handball League campaign with a 32–26 victory over HC Vilnius on Saturday, September 26.

The visitors built the foundation for the win in the first half, taking a six-goal advantage into the break at 17–11, before maintaining control during the second 30 minutes to secure the final 32–26 result.

HC Vilnius scored the opening goal of the match through Lukas Morkūnas, but the early stages remained closely contested. The teams were level at 4–4 after just over nine minutes before Granitas-Karys gradually began to take control.

A productive spell in the middle and latter stages of the first half allowed Granitas-Karys to create separation. Mehdi Berry was particularly influential, scoring repeatedly from both open play and the seven-metre line, while Ernestas Guogis and Gerardas Vainauskas also contributed important goals. By the closing minutes of the half, the visitors had extended their advantage and went into the interval leading 17–11.

Granitas-Karys continued to dictate the game after the restart. Goals from Guogis, Simas Butkus and others pushed the margin to 21–13 before the 38-minute mark, and the visitors later established a 25–16 advantage.

HC Vilnius responded with their strongest period of the second half, reducing the deficit from 25–16 to 25–19 through goals from Matas Daškevičius and Rokas Leščinskas. Granitas-Karys, however, stopped the momentum following a timeout and restored their advantage, moving ahead 28–19.

Vilnius continued to battle in the closing stages. Arminas Milaknis scored three times during a late run, while Martynas Lapinskas and Erikas Putna also found the net as the home side reduced the margin. Granitas-Karys remained composed, with Vainauskas, Karolis Rameikis and Berry supplying the goals needed to see out the match. Nojus Žilinskas completed the scoring in the final seconds for the 32–26 final result.

Top performers

Mehdi Berry led Granitas-Karys with a perfect eight goals from eight shots, including four successful seven-metre throws. Simas Butkus and Ernestas Guogis added five goals each, while Gerardas Vainauskas finished with four goals from four attempts. Karolis Rameikis also converted all three of his shots.

For HC Vilnius, Martynas Lapinskas was the leading scorer with seven goals from eight attempts, including two from the seven-metre line. Matas Daškevičius, Rokas Leščinskas and Erikas Putna each scored four goals, while Arminas Milaknis contributed three.

Baltic Handball League
HC Vilnius – Granitas-Karys 26–32 (11–17)

Top scorers:
HC Vilnius – Martynas Lapinskas 7, Matas Daškevičius 4, Rokas Leščinskas 4, Erikas Putna 4.
Granitas-Karys – Mehdi Berry 8, Simas Butkus 5, Ernestas Guogis 5, Gerardas Vainauskas 4.