ESP – Huertas leads Caja Laboral into the Copa

VITORIA (ACB) - Caja Laboral booked their place in the Copa del Rey with a resounding home triumph over DKV Joventut on Wednesday night.

Led by their Brazil international Marcelo Huertas, who had 14 points, nine assists and seven rebounds, the Vitoria team romped to a 98-78 win to improve to 11-5 and strengthen their grip on third place in the ACB.

Regal Barcelona and Real Madrid had been the only two sides to have qualified for the mid-season Copa before the mid-week games.

DKV suffered more than just the loss.

Their Dutch center Henk Norel was stretchered out of the arena after hurting his left knee in the second quarter.

Norel departed with his left leg immobilized and he could be facing a lengthy spell out of action.

DKV Joventut coach Pepu Herandez is fearing the worst with Norel due to have an MRI on Thursday.

The Badalona boss said after the game that he had a "bad feeling" about Norel's injured knee.

Norel, 23, was averaging 6.4 points and 4.8 rebounds per game for DKV.

For the Netherlands in their EuroBasket Division B campaign last summer, he averaged almost 27 points and 11 rebounds to fire his country to wins against Austria, Estonia and Luxembourg.

Fuenlabrada (9-7) lost for the second time since allowing the transfer of Esteban Batista to Caja Laboral.

Without the Uruguayan center, the Madrid club fell at home to Blancos de Rueda Valladolid, 77-73.

Nacho Martin poured in 18 points for Valladolid, who improved to 10-6 and moved into fourth place at 10-6.

They are closer to a spot in the Copa del Rey with the victory.

Fuenlabrada are in eighth place.

Unicaja Malaga eased the pressure that has been mounting on coach Aito Garcia-Reneses with a 73-69 win at CB Granada.

Unicaja have slumped badly the past month and there has been speculation in Spain that Bozidar Maljkovic could replace Aito at the helm.

Playing away from home, Unicaja opened up a 35-18 lead midway through the second quarter but Granada fought back to take the lead in the last frame.

Panchi Barrera's three-ball put Granada, the last-place team in the ACB, into a 59-56 advantage.

But Guillem Rubio scored five straight points - his only points of the game - including a shot from the arc, for a 64-61 Unicaja lead and they stayed in front the rest of the way.

Unicaja's Great Britain international Joel Freeland had 18 points and 10 rebounds while Coby Karl's 19 points were a game-high for Granada (3-13).

Both players scored 14 points in the first half.

Unicaja are 8-8 and still in the hunt for a place in the Copa del Rey.

Argentina international Paolo Quinteros drilled all four of his shots from long range and finished with 27 points to fire CAI Zaragoza to an 88-72 victory over Lagun Aro GBC.

Menorca Basquet (4-12) are second-bottom after a 71-63 home defeat to Bizkaia Bilbao Basket (9-7).

Croatia's Marko Banic led the visitors with 13 points and eight rebounds.

Bilbao are sixth in the table.

In addition to Real Madrid's game at Cajasol, Asefa Estudiantes host Manresa and Power Electronics Valencia are at home to Gran Canaria 2014.

FIBA