ULEB Cup – Spanish dominate ULEB Cup
VALENCIA (ULEB Cup) - The strength of Spain’s ACB was reconfirmed yet again this week when Akasvayu Girona, Pamesa Valencia, DKV Joventut and Kalise Gran Canaria all reached the Top 16 of the ULEB Cup. Each team won last 32 ties, and it means that eight Spanish teams are still in contention for major honors in ...
VALENCIA (ULEB Cup) - The strength of Spain’s ACB was reconfirmed yet again this week when Akasvayu Girona, Pamesa Valencia, DKV Joventut and Kalise Gran Canaria all reached the Top 16 of the ULEB Cup.
Each team won last 32 ties, and it means that eight Spanish teams are still in contention for major honors in the men’s game.
Pamesa Valencia, Gran Canaria and Akasvayu Girona all bounced back from defeats in the first leg to advance.
Pamesa did a wonderful job at home in overcoming a 70-59 first-leg defeat at Panionios, winning against the Greeks in Valencia this week 82-61 with Panama international Ruben Douglas scoring a game-high 26 points.
Douglas and Shammond Williams, who finished with 16, were on fire from three-point range with the former burying six of 12 and the latter five of seven.
Gran Canaria lost 89-82 at KK Bosna last week but won 89-69 in front of their own fans while last year’s EuroCup champions, Akasvayu, hit back from a 93-85 defeat at Elan Chalon to win 78-57.
Spain international Marc Gasol continues to be the main man for Akasvayu. He was seven of nine from the floor and led all scorers in the game with 18 points.
Chalon were not at full strength with arguably their best player, Darrel Mitchell, unable to play because of injury. He had 17 points and 12 assists in the first leg.
DKV Joventut, who are second in the ACB, were convincing winners at Swans Gmunden in their opening leg and also rolled to a 77-56 triumph in Badalona with Spain international Rudy Fernandez’s 20 points leading all scorers.
DKV will find the going much harder in the Top 16 when they take on Russian juggernauts Khimki on March 11 in the Moscow Region.
Girona will take on Hemofarm in Serbia, Pamesa travel to Croatia to take on Zadar and Gran Canaria must fly to Istanbul to take on Galatasaray.
Top 16: Lukoil Academic v Dynamo Moscow, BC Kyiv v PGE Turów Zgorzelec, BC Hemofarm Stada v Akasvayu Girona, Artland Dragons v UNICS Kazan, Khimki v DKV Joventut, Zadar v Pamesa Valencia, Red Star - Besiktas Cola Turka, Galatasaray Cafe Crown v Kalise Gran Canaria.
FIBA