RGV Capsules: Bees, Bucks familiarity goes beyond schedule

McALLEN — Terry Ruskowski and Serge Dube already knew each other pretty well before this season. Over the next week, they’ll get even more familiar.

Last Tuesday’s 4-3 Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees win is the first of four straight for them against Laredo. The teams play again tonight and Saturday in Laredo, followed by next Friday back in the Valley.

Dube played parts of eight seasons for Ruskowski in Laredo and was an integral part of the system Ruskowski ran in Laredo, one that he’s borrowed from heavily in his first season coaching the Bucks. Though Ruskowski isn’t running exactly what he ran in Laredo, the systems are close enough to give Dube more familiarity with what the Bees (17-14-5) are doing, and vice versa.

Combine that with how often the teams play, and that makes execution even more important. Because, after all, there are few secrets between the teams, who have already played seven times and have 10 more to go.

To compensate, Ruskowski and the Bees worked on changing up aspects of their system to take away from any edge Dube and the Bucks might have.

“What I like to do is show them one thing and when they discover that and compensate that, then I change it around and do something different so I keep the team off balance,” Ruskowski said. “That’s what I want to do and that’s what we’re doing today.”

During that game last Tuesday, Ruskowski said he didn’t feel Dube’s familiarity with him was a factor because of the Bees’ changes. That said, the familiarity of the teams could carry over into other, more physical ways, ways that are probably more noticeable.

“You string together these kind of stretches and there’s going to be some rough stuff out there,” said Bees winger Aaron Boogaard, a former Buck whose third-period goal was the game-winner Tuesday. “Also Terry being the coach last year and (Dube) being the new coach there… (Ruskowski) said it himself there’s a lot of coaching similarities and a lot of similar systems we both play so it’s who wants it more, who’s going to work harder for it.”

Contempt bred from familiarity and similar systems are things the Bees have to get past. And Laredo, despite its identity as a well-coached and difficult team to face, is still a last-place team the Bees need to beat.

With 10 games left against the Bucks (13-22-0), the Bees should have a scheduling advantage over Texas and Tulsa, the teams the Bees are racing for one of two Berry Conference playoff spots.

That advantage won’t end up mattering if Dube and Laredo give the Bees fits.

“We have to get points. Our No. 1 goal is to not be macho or fight them our out-hit them, well I’d like to out-hit them, but out-play them so we can win,” Ruskowski said. “That’s the bottom line.”

ICING: The ECHL rights of former Bees forward Evan Rankin were traded Thursday by the Toledo Walleye to the Utah Grizzlies. Rankin, who spent the 2009-09 season with the Bees, is currently with the AHL’s Rochester Americans, where he has 12 points in 13 games.

Brian Sandalow covers the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees. You can reach him at (956) 683-4436 or via email at bsandalow@themonitor.com.

College

UTPA women manage to beat Chicago State

EDINBURG – Whether it was the two-week layoff or a hangover from beating TCU, the University of Texas-Pan American women’s basketball team needed to overcome an uneven performance to beat Chicago State 43-39 on Thursday at the UTPA Field House.

Bianca Torre, who scored a game-high 21, hit five 3-pointers and knocked down four big free throws in the final seconds to lead the Broncs (8-11 overall, 1-0 season) in their Great West Conference opener. The Great West does not have an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

“It was obvious that if affected us,” Downing said about the layoff. “(The Cougars) are hard to play against because they just pack it in playing the zone. We had been off for two weeks, and we just didn’t play confident tonight. We have to play with more confidence.”

The lack of confidence almost cost UTPA, as Chicago State led 37-34 with 3:25 left in the game after Janay Dockery (18 points) knocked down a second consecutive 3.

Torre, though, answered with her fifth 3-pointer to tie the game at 37

“I guess I was kind of feeling it in a way,” said Torre, who was 5 for 11 from behind the arc. “I had the open shot, and I took it. I had confidence in myself.”

Torre also recorded a key assist to help UTPA take the lead for good, finding Adana Opara under the basket for a layup and a 39-37 lead with 1:06 left.

After the Cougars missed a layup, they were forced to foul, sending Torre to the line where she hit both free throws. The Cougars got to within 41-39 on a layup by Dockery but Torre hit two free throws again to seal the game 43-39 with 7 seconds remaining.

“I can’t say enough about Bianca tonight,” Downing said. “I don’t know how we’ll end up but every senior out there owes her. She carried them tonight.”

UTPA missed its first four shots and trailed 8-0 before Torre knocked down her first 3 with 15:46 left in the first half to make it 8-3.

After the game, the Broncs were cognizant that they escaped what would have been a big letdown after they had beaten TCU two weeks ago. Chicago State is 2-16 overall and 0-1 in conference.

“There were bits and pieces where we just couldn’t get into a flow,” said Donna Jackson, who played all 40 minutes. “I think our intensity went up (as the game went on). We just couldn’t make shots.”

FREE THROWS: Jackson and Opara led the game with nine rebounds each. … UTPA had 26 turnovers. … All five three pointers UTPA made came from Torre.

Peter Rasmussen covers UTPA athletics. You can reach him at (956) 683-4448.

UTPA men open conference play with road win

CHICAGO, Ill. – The University of Texas-Pan American Broncs men’s basketball team opened Great West Conference play with a 72-65 victory over the Chicago State University Cougars on Thursday at the Jones Convocation Center.

The win snaps a 25-game road losing streak for the Broncs (6-15, 1-0 GWC), dating to March 5, 2010. The Broncs jumped out to a 6-0 lead on three-pointers by Nick Weiermiller and Jared Maree.

The Cougars (1-17, 0-1 GWC) took their first lead midway through the first half, leading by as many as four at 14-10, on a Jeremy Robinson 3-pointer.

Trailing 16-13 with 7:30 to go, Brandon Provost hit a 3-pointer to spark an 11-0 run that included a pair of free throws by Provost and six by Enique Mason to give the Broncs a 24-16 lead at the 5:09 mark.

Provost and Jesus Delgado tied for the team lead with 14 points each. Aaron Urbanus scored 12 points with seven rebounds. The Broncs finished 20-for-23 (87 percent) from the foul line.

The Broncs maintained their lead throughout the second half, going up by as many as 13 at 65-52 on a free throw by Josh Cleveland with 3:38 remaining.

The Cougars were led in scoring by Robinson, who finished with 21 points. Ardarius Simmons and Matt Samuels each scored 16 points, and Lee Fisher scored 10 points.

The Broncs return to action when they visit NJIT at 1 p.m. Saturday.

-- UTPA Services

UTPA center opens for academic support

EDINBURG – The University of Texas-Pan American Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced Thursday at a ribbon cutting ceremony at the on-campus Learning Assistant Center that the P.O.W.E.R. Center, where student-athletes receive academic assistance, is now open.

“When we are watching a volleyball match or a basketball game, we sometimes forget that the players are students,” UTPA President Dr. Robert Nelsen said. "This facility is a powerful reminder that student-athletes are students, students who deserve the first-rate, high quality education that the faculty at The University of Texas-Pan American are providing them."

The P.O.W.E.R. center, which stands for Promotes Overall Wellness, Excellence and Responsibility, was renovated using a $40,000 grant from the NCAA Supplemental Support Fund.

"We would like to thank the NCAA for their support in this project,” UTPA Director of Athletics Chris King said. "The P.O.W.E.R. Center will allow the athletics department and the Learning Assistance Center to better serve the academic needs of student-athletes and monitor the academic progress of student-athletes as they work towards their ultimate goal, graduation."

UTPA has 180 student-athletes, including approximately 80 freshmen and transfers, who are required to attend study hall and specially designed workshops that assist them in acclimating to college life and living away from home.

"Student-athletes live a busy life,” King said. "Besides full-time study, they practice 15-to-20 hours per week, play their sport and must dedicate at least 10 hours each week to study hall. We are happy to be able to give them this P.O.W.E.R. Center to help ease the burden."

The team that worked on this project includes associate athletic director of student services Angela Hubbard, assistant director of the Learning Assistance Center, Terrie Garcia, grant writer for the College Assess and Support Program, Felipe Salinas, athletics compliance coordinator Andres Cantu, project manager for facilities Marta Hovar-Salinas, student-athlete advisor of the Learning Assistance Center, Amber Johnson and executive director of Student Support Services, Richard Trevino.

“This was a true team effort and we’re excited to be able to offer this facility to our student-athletes,” Trevino said. "This will help our student-athlete academic advisor, Amber Johnson, to be in an ideal position to monitor the study hall and be readily available to meet with student-athletes."

-- UTPA Services