EUROLEAGUE - All roads lead to Top 16 for Roma

BARCELONA (Euroleague) - Roma won 67-65 at Barcelona on Wednesday to seal their place in the Top 16 of the Euroleague for the second time in succession.

After a poor start to the competition, Jasmin Repesa's team have hit form and improved to 6-7. The Romans, who got a 22-point night from David Hawkins and 10 from former Barca captain Rodrigo de la Fuente, are now fifth in Group C.

Repesa, whose team has now won five of its last six games, continues to show why he is regarded as one of the best coaches in Europe.

He had a lot of praise for his players after the game.

"Everything about our team is team-oriented," he said.

"We play like a team, we have team spirit and all of this must stay as our reference point for the future."

Barcelona did not have center Mario Kasun, the man who plays under Repesa with Croatia's national team.

Kasun, who had a cardiac arrhythmia on Saturday, is out of action for three weeks after undergoing a catheterization in order to avoid future arrhythmias.

Results on Wednesday also meant that Fenerbahce, who are one spot above Roma in the group, are also assured of a place in the Top 16.

They are in action on Thursday at Panathinaikos.

In other Euroleague action, Group A leaders CSKA Moscow won over Tau Ceramica 70-62 and Efes Pilsen lost at home to Aris TT Bank 84-74.

CSKA clinched first place in their group with the victory with JR Holden pouring in a team-high 19 points.

Lietuvos Rytas also won over Unicaja Malaga, 71 - 63.

All six of those teams had already secured places in the next phase of the competition.

Montepaschi Siena, whose form has dipped in Italy following the loss of Lithuania national team guard Rimantas Kaukenas to a season-ending knee injury, claimed an 87-64 win over Prokom Trefl and Le Mans won big over Cibona, 100-87.

FIBA