IZMIR, Turkey (AP) - Jonas Maciulis had 19 points and Linas Kleiza added 15 points as Lithuania beat France 69-55 Wednesday to clinch top spot in Group D at the basketball world championship.

Lithuania (4-0) handed France (3-1) its first defeat.

Down 30-24 at halftime, Lithuania took a 35-32 lead three minutes into the third on Martynus Pocius' 3-point shot. It built its lead as France missed eight of 13 field goal attempts and three of four free-throw attempts in the quarter.

Nicolas Batum led France with 13 points.

After playing Lebanon on Thursday, Lithuania will face the fourth seed of Group C - likely Greece, Russia, China or Puerto Rico - in Istanbul on Tuesday.Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.