ESP – Mexico’s Ayon leads Fuenlabrada to upset of Barcelona

MADRID (ACB) - No team, no matter how good they are, can afford take a week off in the ACB.

Fuenlabrada were reminded of that last week in a defeat at last-place CB Granada, and they reminded league leaders Regal Barcelona of that on Sunday by stunning the Catalans, 69-66, in Madrid.

Mexico center Gustavo Ayon had his best game in the ACB with 24 points and eight rebounds to lead Fuenlabrada, who improved to 13-10 and held on to eighth place in the standings.

Ayon, 24, first arrived at the club from Halcones Xalapa in April of 2009 but spent last season in the LEB.

He has been with Fuenlabrada for the entire 2010-11 campaign and Sunday was his best game to date.

His previous high was 19 points in a 92-81 home triumph over Gran Canaria.

Fuenlabrada are an interesting club to watch.

Having decided to sell Uruguayan big man Esteban Batista to Caja Laboral earlier this year, the move left no doubt that the outfit has faith in Ayon and Congolese 18-year-old Bismack Biyombo on the interior.

Ayon has very big plans.

He wants to win things with Fuenlabrada, and he also admitted on Sunday: "Playing in the NBA is no longer a dream for me, but a goal."

Ayon did his chances no harm, at least with the Los Angeles Lakers because their general manager Mitch Kupchak was in the stands watching the Mexican and Biyombo.

Xavier Pascual, the coach of Barcelona, said: "I congratulate Fuenlabrada for the victory.

"Without detracting from the work of Fuenlabrada, from my vantage point we have not been to our (normal) level of intensity or concentration of the 21 previous games."

On Saturday, Real Madrid, just hours after Ettore Messina spoke to the media about his decision to step down as coach of the club, beat DKV Joventut 78-60.

Messina said he had decided to go in a bid to help Madrid become more unified.

They had lost their two previous ACB games, and fallen badly at home to Montepaschi Siena in the Top 16 of the Euroleague.

His long-time assistant coach, Emanuele Molin, was put in charge of Madrid for the remainder of the season.

DKV boss Pepu Hernandez had been immediately linked with the position following Messina's departure but he denied speculation that he was moving back to Madrid, where he once coached Estudiantes.

DKV slumped to 11-12 with the setback.

Real's victory allowed them to close the gap on Barca (19-4) to just one game, although Pascual's team has the advantage of having swept Madrid.

Power Electronics Valencia had to dig deep to see off Blancos de Rueda Valladolid, 68-64.

Valencia had a 61-45 advantage in the last minute of the third quarter and saw that advantage cut to 64-62 on a Marcus Slaughter basket with just over three minutes remaining.

Dusko Savanovic (13 points, nine rebounds) and Rafa Martinez replied with baskets to hold Blancos, a team Valencia coach Svetislav Pesic believes to have the best defense in the ACB, at bay.

Caja Laboral are back in fourth place after winning 79-61 at home over CAI Zaragoza, and Bizkaia Bilbao Basket are fifth after edging Lagun Aro GBC 92-86 in overtime.

Aaron Jackson had 20 points for the second week in a row for Bilbao.

Caja Laboral, Bilbao and Blancos each have 14-9 records.

Seventh-place Cajasol Sevilla bounced back from their midweek Eurocup defeat at Benetton Treviso, winning 82-63 over Granada.

Nik Caner-Medley, February's Player of the Month, was MVP of the round after firing Asefa Estudiantes to a 78-69 victory over visiting Unicaja Malaga.

The American had 19 points and 15 rebounds for Estu, who are ninth in the standings at 12-11 and just a game adrift of Fuenlabrada.

Unicaja, who are also 11-12, fell to 11th.

Gran Canaria 2014 (11-12) won at second-bottom Menorca Basquet 76-67.

Menorca are now 5-18.

The other game saw Assignia Manresa edge Meridiano Alicante, 49-48, in the lowest scoring ACB game since 1983.

Victory was crucial for Manresa (8-15), who climbed to 15th in the 18-team league.

Alicante (7-16) are now 16th and just one place off the relegation zone.

FIBA