Akasvayu Girona making waves in Spain, Europe

GIRONA (The Friday Eurovision) – Spain's ACB is generally accepted as the best league in Europe, and you'd better believe Akasvayu Girona are one of its best teams.

That was confirmed on Wednesday, when Svetislav Pesic's team routed Italian league leaders Virtus Bologna in the first half in Catalonia and then cruised to a 106-74 win.

Just a few days earlier, Girona had edged defending ACB champions Unicaja in Malaga, 90-89.

Their opening 20 minutes against Virtus, who had been showing glimpses of the form which saw them capture European titles in 1998 and 2001, was breathtaking.

Akasvayu made 15 of 21 (71.4%) inside the arc, seven of nine (77%) behind it and 20 of 21 (95%) at the free throw line en route to a 71-33 lead at the half-way stage.

The final nail was in the coffin, and there were still 20 minutes still to play!

"I am lost for words regarding my team's performance tonight, it was incredible," said Pesic, who has won practically everything there is to win in Europe, including a Euroleague, ACB and Copa del Rey treble as Barcelona coach in 2003.

"I have a lot of confidence in my team but I have to admit that today, they have surprised me by playing excellent basketball."

Their more famous neighbors, Barca, boast a line-up of international stars like Greece's Michail Kakiouzis, Italy's Gianluca Basile and Denis Marconato, Spain's Juan Carlos Navarro and Fran Vazquez and Croatian center Mario Kasun.

Barca had no room for tidy point guard Victor Sada or young Marc Gasol, a gold medal winner at the FIBA World Championship with Spain, so those two gladly accepted moves to Girona where they have been getting playing time and excelling.

Girona had Vazquez, an NBA lottery selection by the Orlando Magic two summers ago, but allowed him and former Utah Jazz guard Raul Lopez to join Barca and Real Madrid, respectively.

Lopez hasn't been missed with feisty Serbia Marko Marinovic averaging just under 14 points a game in Spain, and 35-year-old American Arriel McDonald, a SuproLeague champion with Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2001, providing a steady hand.

In the win over Bologna, it was a former player at Virtus' rivals Fortitudo, the man that raises eyebrows with his name, Gregor Fucka, and his outstanding play, who shone brightest.

At the intermission, Fucka, pronounced Fooch-kuh, had topped the scoring for Girona with 14 points while Lithuania's 2004 Olympian Dainius Salenga had 12 and Gasol seven with five rebounds.

“Defense, transition, rebounds - our first 20 minutes have been played at such a great level of basketball that I can only be very proud," Pesic said.

"Virtus are a very good side but today we played a fantastic game and there was little they could do.

"This game for me is a present that my players have given me."

Now the aim is to get the Girona fans to believe in this team.

"Before the game," Pesic said, “I had said that I would like to see our pavilion sold out. It wasn't, but we are on the way.

"We had more fans turning up and that's good news.

"People who like basketball must now know that we can provide a good entertainment as we showed today."

For the record, there were 4,052 spectators at the Fontajau Pavilion which has a capacity of 5040.

What's interesting is how Virtus owner Claudio Sabatini all but predicted his team would lose earlier in the week at the presentation of the Coppa Italia in Rome.

Virtus will host this year's Coppa so he was on hand to offer his views.

“In my opinion," he said, “Girona has a stronger roster and I see them as favourites to win the EuroCup.

"My point of view will not change even if we win, which I don't think we will in Girona.

"We will try to play our game but it's going to be very difficult."

Virtus coach Zare Markovski has been very upbeat this season, and justifiably, as he has a terrific roster of players, too.

The setback did not seem to affect his optimism.

“They should celebrate the victory, they deserve it," said Markovski.

"I have to compliment Girona who have played with great intensity, making easy counter-attacks and shooting at a very high percentage. I hope that in Bologna we can play better."

Pesic is on a mission.

The man who legend has it told Serbian Vladimir Radmanovic to sit in the stands instead of on the bench at the 2002 FIBA World Championship because he had been eating a banana during a half-time, locker room team talk, wants to make the club one of the best in Spain and Europe.

"Now for us," he said, “it's important, our home game against Dijon (February 14).

"Europe now knows that we have a good team, good players and that we are competitive. Now we deserve to have a sold out pavilion in our future games.

Jeff Taylor