VENTSPILS (FIBA Europe Cup) - DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell and Bakken Bears gave Basketball Champions League transfers Ventspils a rather unpleasant welcome to the FIBA Europe Cup, but other incoming clubs fared better in the first-leg duels in the Round of 16.

Having registered a 93-73 upset against the Latvian powerhouse, the plucky Danes will take home a handsome 20-point lead before next week's return fixture in Aarhus.

The competition's leading scorer, Akoon-Purcell, punished Ventspils with 23 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals, Jeffrey Crockett chipped in with a double-double of 17 points and 12 rebounds.

Michel Diouf added 16 points, 9 rebounds and 4 blocks in a winning performance, while Emanuel Ubilla's team-highs of 19 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists fell well short of changing the outcome of the game.

"I am ecstatic about our performance today. We rescheduled a lot of our domestic games in order to be prepared for this game and we will work to be ready for the second game," said Bakken Bears head coach Steffen Wich after the big win in Latvia.

"This season, we have tried to defend a lead before, but without success. We have to improve this."

The other five teams from the Basketball Champions League enjoyed better luck than their Latvian counterparts, inscribing four wins and posting one draw.

Just south of Ventspils in Lithuania, Juventus went through a roller-coaster against Alba Fehervar but ended up with an 87-74 victory despite seeing their Hungarian rivals nearly erase a 29-point deficit.

Kenny Gaines was firing on all cylinders for the Lithuanian club, with 25 points and 5 rebounds, while his teammate LaRon Dendy filled the boxscore with 17 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals and a block.

Meanwhile, Dinamo Sassari snapped ESSM Le Portel's 11-game winning streak in the FIBA Europe Cup in Sardinia after a 33-point turnaround saw them march away with a 72-55 triumph despite trailing by as many as 16 points in the first half.

Joshua Bostic scored 20 points and registered 5 steals in the win, while Italy international Achille Polonara added 15 points, 8 rebounds and a pair of blocks. Trae Golden was the only Le Portel player in double figures with 11 points.

Sidigas Scandone Avellino erased a nine-point deficit in the last two minutes of the game against Tsmoki-Minsk and forced a 70-70 draw on a Kyrylo Fesenko tip-in at the fourth-quarter buzzer.

Having found themselves down 67-58 with 1:52 left to play, the Italians needed a 13-2 run to get themselves back in the game and a clutch play from Ukrainian center Fesenko, who finished the game with 24 points and 15 rebounds.

Elsewhere, Belgian champions Oostende cruised to an 84-71 victory against Mornar Bar behind an 17-point and 8-rebound performance from Mike Myers, while Umana Reyer Venezia dismantled Egis Kormend by 32 points, 83-51.

FIBA