Laura Gil Leads Hozono Global Jairis to Victory in Salamanca Return

Laura Gil returned to Salamanca on Saturday night to lead Hozono Global Jairis to victory in her former home. A valuable win for Bernat Canut's squad in a matchday where Ingeniería Ambiental CAB Estepona and BAXI Ferrol also secured solid home victories. The top four teams remained undefeated, while Kutxabank Araski won to tighten the fight for survival.

Ing. Ambiental CAB Estepona hosted Durán Maquinaria Ensino with the goal of maintaining their winning streak, in a matchup between two teams arriving in form after securing important victories last weekend against Valencia Basket and Casademont Zaragoza, respectively. César Aneas' squad took the win thanks to solid defensive execution from the start and excellent accuracy in the paint. Madison Conner delivered a stellar performance as the leading scorer with 23 points. For Suso Garrido's team, defensive lapses meant that the scoring from Maimouna Haidara and Lydia Giomi was not enough to continue their winning ways for another matchday.

Next, BAXI Ferrol hosted league cellar-dweller SPAR Gran Canaria. The Galician squad delivered a complete performance, surpassing the 100-point mark on the scoreboard. Lino López's team shot accurately from the floor against visitors who, despite being led by Axelle Merceron (22 rating) and Brittany Richardson (23 points), could not overcome a solid BAXI Ferrol. Meanwhile, Hozono Global Jairis raided Perfumerías Avenida's arena, which struggled with shooting accuracy. Both teams started strong defensively, but the Alcantarilla squad, led by an outstanding Laura Gil, was highly efficient on offense. Anna Montañana's team made just 2 of 16 three-pointers, a costly statistic for the Salamanca side, which continues to struggle in a week in which they said goodbye to their European dreams.

Sunday featured the bulk of the matchday. Roig Arena hosted Valencia Basket against Club Joventut Badalona. The Valencia squad arrived eager to bounce back, and it showed on the court as Rubén Burgos' team controlled the game from start to finish in a comfortable victory for the home side. Meanwhile, Casademont Zaragoza also returned to winning ways with a triumph at Príncipe Felipe against Lointek Gernika Bizkaia. Carlos Cantero's squad managed the matchup well with standout performances from Gueye and Vorackova, the most valued players for the Aragonese squad.

In the afternoon session, Kutxabank Araski gave their fans a boost in the Basque Country derby against IDK Euskotren. A clash in which Noa Morro's drive would set the path for the Vitoria squad in a matchday where the home team would gain crucial breathing room. An important victory in terms of distancing themselves from the cellar position, but one that still does not allow Azu Muguruza's squad to escape the increasingly distant relegation zone for a Movistar Estudiantes that won again. This time at home and in another of the afternoon derbies, facing an Innova-TSN Leganés far removed from their usual offensive numbers, which prevented the southern Madrid Community squad from having a chance at victory.

The matchday was completed from Fontajau where the solid and reliable Spar Girona gave no chance to their neighbors Cadí La Seu in a clash where Mariam Coulibaly would stand out in her usual role as a force in the paint. The interior player was a constant headache for the La Seu d'Urgell squad on a night in which they would secure their sixth consecutive win to maintain their position at the top of the table.

LF ENDESA - MATCHDAY 21:

Saturday, January 14:
- Ing. Ambiental CAB Estepona vs Durán M. Ensino (92-84) | MVP: L. Giomi - 24 rating
- BAXI Ferrol vs SPAR Gran Canaria (109-82) | MVP: A. George - 24 rating
- Perfumerías Avenida vs Hozono Global Jairis (53-65) | MVP: L. Gil - 23 rating

Sunday, February 15:
- Valencia Basket vs Joventut Badalona (83-57) | MVP: L. Romero - 19 rating
- Casademont Zaragoza vs Lointek Gernika Bizkaia (85-63) | MVP: M. Jankovic - 21 rating
- Kutxabank Araski vs IDK Euskotren (76-66) | MVP: N. Morro - 17 rating
- Movistar Estudiantes vs Innova-TSN Leganés (61-50) | MVP: F. Buhner - 18 rating
- Spar Girona vs Cadí La Seu (88-64) | MVP: M. Coulibaly - 36 rating