Francisco Cruz ignites for 41 points, Cougars drop EWC

Francisco Cruz ignited for 41 points and the Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team snapped a 2-game losing skid in registering an 89-73 win over Highway 26 rivals Eastern Wyoming College Monday at Cougar Palace.

Cruz had 19 points and five 3-pointers in the first half and then finished the game connecting on eight treys for the game on 8 of 10 shooting from beyond the arc. It was only the 10^th time in Cougar history that a player scored 40 or more points in a game. The last time was back in 1995 when Bernard Garner scored 47 points at the national tournament.

“I wasn’t concerned about the offensive points, because whenever we play defense we are able to score,” WNCC coach Russ Beck said. “Obviously, Pako [Cruz] had a hot hand tonight with 41 points and we will take that on any given night. But, I am more concerned with the points we gave up and the uncontested shots that we gave up. If we want to get better, we have to do the small things.”

EWC coach Casey Jones said Cruz’ lights-out shooting was the difference in the game.

“I think the story tonight was Francisco had a nice night and we got beat by a player,” he said. “We just let him get open threes. We knew he was their only shooter. We just did a bad job of finding him. We did a nice job on their other good player [Robinson] and he didn’t have much of a game. It came down to one kid.”

Cruz not only had 41 points on the night, he also dished out five assists and pulled down five rebounds.

“It feels good to be home and it looks like Pako is comfortable on this rim,” beck said. “Geddes [Robinson] didn’t have that good of a game, but he will come on. I suspect that NJC will come out and put a lot of pressure on Pako, which should open up the floor a little bit for Geddes and other players. I thought we shared the ball well tonight.”

However, Cruz wasn’t the only Cougar to step up on the night as several WNCC players had hot hands as the team converted 13 of 21 3-pointers. Cruz had eight treys, but Joe Stock nailed 2 of 4 treys, while Geoffrey Firmin, Saul Torres and Mateus Chaves each had one trey. The Cougars shot 61 percent from the 3-point arc.

EWC also had a good night making the long-range shots, rattling home 10 3-pointers, including three each from Winston Harris and Zach Young. The Lancers shooting in the second half was the difference in the game as they shot 29 percent in the final 20 minutes compared to 58 percent in the first half.

“We dug a hole in the first half and got down by 16 and then we went on to finish the half with a real good run of our own to get it back to a manageable game,” Jones said. “The first half we shot really well and then the second half we really did not shot well at 28 percent. I think we were a little too amped and took some bad threes.”

EWC trailed the Cougars 14-10 early on with a Lance Korell 3-pointer, and trailed 18-12 after a Fola Adeleke bucket. Cruz then scored 11 straight points to help WNCC to a 29-16 lead. Moments later, Chaves buried a 3-pointer and Firmin drove in for a bucket to put the Cougars up 36-20 with seven minutes left in the half.

The Lancers battled back, going on a 16-7 run and cutting the lead to 43-36 on a Young 3-pointers. WNCC answered as Torres made a bucket to help the Cougars to a 46-38 halftime lead.

EWC sliced the lead to five points early on in the second half, but WNCC had an answer to the mini Lancer run as Cruz and Firmin each buried 3-pointers. EWC fought back, slicing the lead to 57-51 on a Tautvydas Kairys bucket with 11:13 to play. Cruz stopped the rally with another trey and then O’Rion Hughes took over the highlight real with six straight points, with the first bucket coming from an assist from Cruz.

Hughes finished off his scoring run as he drove the paint and slammed home two points to put WNCC up 66-51 with under nine minutes to play.

The Lancers tried making a late run, cutting the lead to 75-64 on a Adeleke bucket with 2:12 to play, but Hughes say no sir as he put down an electrifying dunk to put WNCC backup by 13 points.

Cruz and Hughes were the only Cougars to finish in double figures. Hughes added 14 points to the team’s 89 points.

The Lancers had four guys finish in double figures, led by Ivan Simic with 15 points. Harris, Kairys and Adeleke each had 11 points.

WNCC, 12-8, will now hit the road with a big game at Northeastern Junior College on Wednesday. Beck said that will be a special night as the Plainsmen will honor former NJC player Jeron Lewis, who died on the court earlier this month when his Southern Indiana team was playing Kentucky Wesleyan.

“It will be an emotional night because they have the ‘Black Out for Jeron’,” Beck said. “It is an unfortunate thing to happen to him and we wish his family well. He is a guy I coached against when I was at Salt Lake when we played NJC. Hopefully we can go out and get one on the road and keep this thing rolling.”

EWC (2-16) 38 34 – 72
WNCC (12-8) 46 43 – 89
EASTERN WYOMING
Fola Adeleke 11, Lance Korell 6, Zach Young 9, Darius Gordon 9, Tautvydad Kairys 11, Winston Harris 11, Ivan Simic 15.
WESTERN NEBRASKA
Geoffrey Firmin 9, Saul Torres 5, O’Rion Hughes 14, Joe Stock 6, Mateus Chaves 3, Francisco Cruz 41, Brylle Kamen 3, Ritchie Mundende 4, Geddes Robinson 4.