MAS DEL NOGALENSE PACO CRUZ EN EEUU.

El nogalense Paco Cruz sigue triunfando en el Basquetbol Colegial de Estados Unidos.

Sunday, February 28, 2010

WNCC paró a NJC en el juego final en casa de la temporada y enfrentará a EWC el lunes en el último juego del rol. 

The Western Nebraska Community College men's basketball team converted on 27 free throws, including 18 in the final three minutes of the game to register an exciting 86-85 win over Northeastern Junior College Sunday at Cougar Palace.

" O'Rion Hughes was 10 of 10 from the free throw line, which was huge and overall we were 27 of 35 and 77 percent from the free throw line, which we made more free throws then they attempted," WNCC coach Russ Beck said. "That is an old coaching adage that when you make more free throws then they attempt, you typically win 80 to 90 percent of the time."

WNCC will try to continue its winning ways Monday when they travel to Eastern Wyoming College in the team's final regular season game. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. in Torrington, Wyo. The contest will also be the Lancer's final game of the year since EWC did not make the regional tournament, while the Cougars will open the regional tournament on Saturday against Lamar Community College.

"All the win Sunday does is gives us a little bit momentum for Monday night's game," Hopefully tomorrow's [Monday] game will give us a little more momentum for the regional tournament. Right now I don't want to worry about Lamar or think how they are doing. I haven't watched film on them since we played them. As soon as tomorrow night's game is over i will be up until the wee hours in the morning trying to prepare for Lamar. All I am focused on right know is going over to Eastern Wyoming and playing the best that we possibly can play and get out of there with a win.

Beck said he wants his team to play well against Eastern and if they can do the things that got them the win Sunday against NJC, they should be O.K.

"This is a very important game for us because this will be Eastern's last game, so it is like the championship game for them," Beck said. "It would be nothing better for them to take a win away from us. Anything, they are going to be prepared for Francisco Cruz. They played a lot of zone against us last game and I am not sure if they want to do that again. We have a lot of guys that are playing with a lot of confidence. We were 7 of 15 from the 3-point are and 46 percent. If they do zone us, we will be prepared to knock down some shots."
WNCC blistered the nets for 44 percent shooting, including going 46 percent from the 3-point area. The Cougars were 7 of 15 from beyond the arc as Joe Stock and Francisco Cruz each made three treys. The other 3-pointer came from Mateus Chavez as the redshirt freshman nailed an NBA 3-pointer as the shot clock was running down to end the first half. WNCC held a slim 34-30 lead at intermission.

After the break, Cruz and Stock each tallied 3-pointers to give the Cougars a 42-38 lead. NJC came back as Jerrell Washington followed Stock's trey with a long-range bomb of his own to give the Plainsmen their first lead of the game since the opening bucket of the game.

WNCC came right back as Cruz buried his second trey of the game, which started a 12-0 run for the Cougars that was capped by Stock's third 3-pointer to put WNCC up 54-43. Cruz's second trey with 15 minutes to play gave the 6-foot-4 sophomore his 1,000 career point. He is one of only 12 players to score 1,000 points in their career at WNCC.

NJC didn't quit as they came back behind the shooting of Widgett Washington, who scored eight points to bring the Plainsmen back to 63-60 with just over 7 minutes to play. WNCC scored the next seven points with strong inside play from Geddes Robinson and Ritchie Mundende to go up 70-63.

The Plainsmen stormed back to get to within a single point, 83-82 on a Jerrell Washington bucket with under 30 seconds to play. Saul Torres put the Cougars up by two with 16.3 seconds with a free throw. NJC then missed a lay-up and Cruz was fouled with 5.8 seconds left. Cruz calmly hit both shots to go up 86-82. Widgett Washington then drained a 3-pointer and then WNCC turned the ball with under a second to play and a last ditch shot just fell short to preserve the win.

"I think overall we played pretty well," Beck said. "I would like us not to turn over the ball so much, but at the same time when a team pressures you for 40 minutes, there will be some inherited turnovers. We just don't like the turnovers that when we are in the half court and we don't give ourselves the opportunity to get a shot on the rim."

The Cougars had four players finish in double figures, led by Cruz and Robinson's 19 points and eight rebounds each. Hughes finished with 18 points, including a perfect 10 of 10 from the free throw line. Stock tossed in 11 points.

NJC was led by Widgett Washington who had 33 points, including four 3-pointers.

NJC 30 55 -- 85
WNCC (18-11) 34 52 -- 86
NORTHEASTERN COLORADO
Dre Calloway 11, Will Bell 15, Widgett Washington 33, Jerrell Washington 10, Trevor Brady 12, Nate Nelson 2, Griffin Brady 2.
WESTERN NEBRASKA
Geoffrey Firmin 6, Saul Torres 2, O'Rion Hughes 18, Joe Stock 11, Mateau Chaves 3, Francisco Cruz 19, Brylle Kamen 3, Ritchie Mundende 6, Geddes Robinson 19.
WNCC men top NJC 86-85 in final home game of season, will face EWC Monday in final regular season game