Junior center Chas Cross was the catalyst for the Pioneers 84-71 Alumni Day win over the University of Wisconsin-River Falls on Saturday.
The Pioneers (14-6, 7-4 WIAC) got Cross the ball in the post throughout the game, and he delivered, scoring a team-high 27 in the contest. Cross garnered WIAC Player of the Week honors for the second week in a row.
“Once we got our offense moving in the second half, it opened up everybody for easy passes and points,” Cross said.
Pioneers head coach Jeff Gard also emphasized the offense’s movement as a key to the victory.
“In the first half, we had three guys on the weak side watching a two-man game being played,” Gard said. “When we started making something happen (away from the ball), it all clicked.”
The game was deadlocked 30-30 at the half, as neither team built a team larger than six.
“They do a lot of things in transition, and in the first half, we didn’t get back on defense well enough, and we gave up some easy shots,” junior guard Eric Gerber said.
After the break, the home team got into the bonus early, which played a key role in the Pioneers’ victory.
“That’s really what separated us,” Cross said. “We knew when we had the ball, if we took it to the hole we’d get a call, and then it was just about making free throws.”
Gard added that the many free throw attempts increased the confidence of the team and helped some players get into a rhythm.
The Pioneers made 20 of 21 second-half free throws and went 23-26 in the game.
UW-River Falls stayed in the game with the help of 10 three-pointers, six of which were poured in by Falcons guard Arik Smith, who had a game-high 28 points.
“Smith is a great player,” Gard said. “But you can’t give a great player great looks, and that’s what he got.”
The game was capped off by senior forward Rob Stallion’s steal and fast break dunk, inciting the loudest cheers from the crowd on the afternoon.
Gerber and sophomore guard Jim Stocki helped Cross pace the offense, scoring 15 and 14 points, respectively.
With five games to go before the WIAC Championship tournament, Cross said he wants to see his team put together a complete game, something he thinks they have not done yet this season.
“We have spurts where we struggle with scoring, and we give up easy looks to our opponent,” Cross said. “If we play a full 40 minutes, we’ll be tough to beat.”
