MONTEVIDEO (LUB) - Bigua and defending champions Trouville have qualified alongside first phase winners Malvin for the second stage of the LUB league in Uruguay.

Malvin returned to the top the table courtesy of two victories this week, starting with a 103-95 win over Tabare on Saturday.

Marcelo Perez top-scored with 22 points for Pablo Lopez's side, aided by Emilio Taboada, who added 18.

Then on Tuesday night, Taboada netted 30 and Fernando Martinez contributed with 28 as Malvin hit Anastasia 90-78 to claim their 17th win in 22 games.

Bigua, who have been in hot pursuit of the leaders, put themselves in firm contention last Thursday, trumping Sayago 100-92 with 25 points from Luis Silveira.

But Alvaro Tito's side lost the opportunity to make top spot their own when they conceded their sixth defeat from 22 games in the 94-74 away-defeat at Union Atletica on Monday.

Trouville bounced back from a 94-90 defeat against relegation-threatened Anastasia to claim their 15th win of the campaign and clinch qualification on Tuesday with a 93-82 win at Paysandu.

Claudio Pereira scored 30 points, Joaquin Izuibejeres 23 and Antonio Garcia 22 for the victors.

The three will be joined by a further five qualifiers in the upcoming stage, which will be divided into two competitions, the Apertura and Clausura.

Defensor Sporting are on the brink of progressing but Union Atletica, who would be the last team to make it into the second stage if the league were to finish today, beat them 66-63 on Thursday.

On Monday, Gerardo Jauri's Defensor hit back to win 79-75 at Olimpia with Daniel Rivero netting 22 points.

Paysandu are level in the standings with Defensor Sporting after an 86-81 win over seventh-placed Olimpia.

Aguada won 93-79 over Atenas, but suffered a 91-89 defeat at Aguada to hold sixth.

By PA Sport