Coverage from:
The Springfield Union-News
The Boston Globe
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Daily Hampshire Gazette
The Daily Hampshire Gazette - Rafael Cruz focus


Cruz control sparks UMass
By Ron Chimelis, The Springfield Union-News Staff Writer, 1/14/1999

AMHERST - Charlton Clarke supplied the heart. Rafael Cruz supplied the emotion by giving the fans a new face to rally around.

And the University of Massachusetts men's basketball team supplied a badly needed victory last night, thumping Duquesne 69-55 at Mullins Center and proving that signs of life still exist for this struggling team, which next faces 15th-ranked Kansas Saturday at home.

"I knew my time would come," said Cruz, whose career-high 16 points ignited the Minutemen before 5,308 appreciative fans last night. "Anybody gets frustrated when they don't play, but I've accepted my role, and the coaches showed a lot of confidence in me tonight."

Cruz played 21 minutes, worlds above his 4.3-minute average coming into the game as UMass improved to 6-8, 3-1 in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Saturday's non-conference game with Kansas is a nationally televised showcase, but last night's game was in many ways more important because for the Minutemen to salvage the season, they must do well in the conference.

Duquesne fell to 4-10 (0-4 A-10) and lost its seventh straight. Freshman forward Wayne Smith was limited by foul trouble to 22 minutes, but still scored 16 points while sophomore guard Aaron Lovelance had 13.

Photo
Monty Mack's 19 points led UMass, which riddled Duquesne with 10-for-14 shooting from 3-point range. The injured Clarke gave up his starting spot to Jonathan DePina, but still played 23 minutes on a bruised left knee and scored 11 points with four assists and two turnovers.

Both knees have been affected by tendinitis, and Clarke is far from 100 percent. Still, he helped foil Duquesne's hopes of playing pressure defense.

But the star of the show was Cruz, who scored 10 first-half points as UMass surged to a 34-18 lead. He finished 5 for 6 from the floor, hit all four 3-point shots he tried and won the hearts of UMass fans who are craving some positive signs, especially on offense.

"I'm glad Rafael had the chance to showcase his talents," said Clarke, who pronounced himself physically ready for Kansas. "He was confident, and he stepped up and made big shots."

"We recruited Cruz," Duquesne coach Darelle Porter said. "We knew Mack was their go-to guy on the perimeter, but Rafael stepped up tonight."

Cruz hit two 3-pointers in the first seven minutes of the second half, just when it looked like the UMass offense might grind to a halt. His last 3 made it 43-26 with 13:05 left.

Photo
Chris Kirkland with the jump-shot.
"That pretty much broke it open," UMass coach Bruiser Flint said. "I tell him he's still got to play defense, that it's not just about shooting. But give him credit - he was ready."

After Duquesne scored six straight points to make it 43-32, Chris Kirkland (11 points, game-high seven rebounds) scored two straight baskets from the inside to make it 47-32 with 10:49 to go.

"Early in the game, Duquesne was packing it in," Kirkland said. "But when we hit some 3's to open it up and were able to make some plays inside."

UMass also showed improvement at the foul line, hitting 11 of 15. DePina, the starter at the point, scored two points with one assist, three turnovers and two steals in 15 minutes, and played only three minutes in the second half.

"I don't think Jonathan played badly, but we needed shooting, so Raffy (Cruz) got the minutes," Flint said.


Cruz fuels UMass win
By Joe Burris, The Boston Globe Staff, 1/14/1999

AMHERST - It took nearly four months, 14 games, several retreats to the drawing board, and a seemingly endless array of shots clanging off rims, but the University of Massachusetts appears finally to have found a consistent perimeter scoring threat. Just ask the Mullins Center crowd of 5,308 who watched the host Minutemen defeat Atlantic 10 foe Duquesne, 69-55, last night.

With 19:04 remaining in the game and UMass ahead, 34-20, fans began chanting, ''Put Cruz in,'' referring to seldom-used sophomore guard Rafael Cruz, a textbook shooter from Wheeling, W.Va., who finished the first half with a career-high 10 points, including 2 for 2 from 3-point range.

Photo
Charlton Clarke still logged 23 minutes with the bum knees.
Coach Bruiser Flint, who used Cruz early in part because starting point guard Charlton Clarke was hampered with inflamed tendinitis in both knees, reinserted Cruz at the 17-minute mark, and the guard entered to a rousing ovation from the crowd, who seemed eager to see more of a player who could ignite an offense that has struggled all season.

Cruz, whose playing time has been limited in part because his ballhandling skills and defense aren't as good as his shooting stroke, provided the spark with 14:44 left after Duquesne closed the gap to 35-24. Cruz promptly sank a trey, putting the Minutemen ahead by 14. With 13:02 left, he sank another trey, putting UMass up, 43-26.

''I think the team needs a spark off the bench,'' said Cruz, who left the game to another ovation, finishing with 16 points on 5-for-6 shooting, including 4 for 4 from behind the 3-point line. ''Sometimes we go five or six minutes without scoring and we need someone who probably isn't going to score 20 points a night to be a spark. I'd like to be that guy.''

Cruz helped the Minutemen finish with a season-high 10 treys. So impressive was he that Flint said he very well could be the team's scoring threat off the bench for the remainder of the season.

''He broke the game open in the second half by knocking down those two 3s. That was pretty much the game for [Duquesne],'' said Flint, whose team shot 51 percent from the floor en route to improving to 6-8 overall, 3-1 in the league. ''I keep telling him that it's not all about scoring. For him to play, he has to defend and take care of the ball. I said to him on the bench that `it's not just about shooting because those nights when you're not shooting well, I can't put you in.'''

Photo
Monty Mack was the night's offensive force.
Cruz wasn't the only contributor. Clarke didn't start for the first time in 72 games but tallied 11 points and four assists in 23 minutes and converted three of four treys. Starting shooting guard Monty Mack led all scorers with 19 points, connecting on three of six treys.

The Minutemen's outside shooting caught many off guard, including Duquesne coach Darelle Porter. ''Cruz comes in and hits a few shots. We didn't know if Charlton was going to play, and he limps in and hits a few shots,'' said Porter, whose team trailed, 34-18, at halftime after shooting 25 percent from the floor and fell to 4-10, 0-4.

UMass could not have found a better time to open up its offense. Next up for the Minutemen is 15th-ranked Kansas. ''Coach Flint told us after the game that no one will think we'll have a shot against them,'' said Clarke, ''so we have to go out and prove everyone wrong.''


Duquesne suffers at hands of Minutemen
By Steve Sampsell, The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 1/14/1999

AMHERST, Mass. - If it's consistency you seek in your college basketball teams, look no further than Duquesne.

Halfway through the season, the Dukes remain consistently poor.

Struggling Massachusetts, which had won just four times in its previous 12 games, made the most of Duquesne's visit Wednesday night. Thanks to a balanced offense, the Minutemen scored a 69-55 victory before a crowd of 5,308 at the Mullins Center.

Four players reached double digits for UMass (6-8, 3-1 Atlantic 10), and the Minutemen hit 51.1 percent of their shots. Duquesne (4-10, 0-4) lost its seventh consecutive game, the fifth in a row by at least 12 points.

Although Duquesne did some things well - outrebounding UMass (33-31) and forcing 18 turnovers - the Dukes couldn't score.

Two players reached double digits for the Dukes. Forward Wayne Smith scored 16 points, and forward Aaron Lovelace (Franklin Regional) added a career-high 13.

The Dukes, though, hit just seven field goals in the first half and trailed 34-18 at halftime.

Duquesne kept things close early, but foul trouble forced Smith from the lineup and further diminished the team's offense. He played just nine minutes in the first half.

Without him to provide a scoring threat and spread out the defense, the Dukes were punchless. In 11 minutes without Smith on the floor, they scored six points.

"We look to him to score, and he was on the bench," Duquesne coach Darelle Porter said. "We also try to get points from (guard) Courtney Wallace, but he was off a little in the first half."

As Duquesne worked, trying to get the ball inside for high-percentage shots, UMass went long distance and produced its own high-percentage results.

Against a Duquesne defense, which defends 3-point shots worse than any team in the conference, UMass hit 71.4 percent of its attempts behind the arc.

Photo
Chris Kirkland grabs the rebound.
It was on Cruz control as guard Rafael Cruz scored a career-high 16 points. Guard Monty Mack added 19, and forward Chris Kirkland (Sto-Rox) scored 11 and grabbed a game-high seven rebounds.

"We know (Cruz) can score, but he had a complete game," UMass coach Bruiser Flint said. "He's not going to hit like that every night, but when he does - and when he plays good defense - it makes us better. He had a complete game."

Along with the scoring, Cruz added four rebounds. He did commit four turnovers.

Early in the second half, Lovelace sparked a short-lived rally. He scored 10 of his points in the first 10 minutes. Many were blue-collar baskets as he grabbed rebounds and scored on put-backs or showed some sharp offensive moves in the lane.

Porter's game plan was to stop UMass' inside game, including 6-foot-10 center Lari Ketner, and the Dukes did. It was Cruz's shooting that surprised him.

A native of Puerto Rico, Cruz played high school basketball in Wheeling, W.Va., and was recruited by Duquesne.

"We wanted them to go to other people and have to shoot from the perimeter," Porter said. "They proved they could."

Two 3-pointers by Cruz ensured the victory. After the Dukes got as close as 11 points in the second half, his shots pushed the lead back to 17. In the final 10 minutes, the Dukes got no closer than 13 points.


Cruz missiles help shoot down Dukes
By Marino Parascenzo, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Sports Writer, 1/14/1999

AMHERST, Mass. - While the rest of the world could finally exhale with the retirement of Michael Jordan - yes, he really did it - Duquesne fans continued to hold their breath. Never mind winning - would their beloved Dukes ever make a shot again?

Photo
Mike "Minister of Defense" Babul gets in Duquesne's face.
The Dukes turned in another frigid performance last night - how about 18 points in the first half ? - and fell to the Massachusetts Minutemen, 69-55. It was their seventh straight loss and left them 4-10 overall and 0-4 in the Atlantic 10. The Minutemen, who were never really threatened, are now 6-8 and 3-1.

It was a matchup of the two worst records in the A-10, and now there's only one. Virginia Tech, which lost to La Salle Tuesday, is tied with the Dukes at 0-4 in the West cellar, but is 5-9 overall.

Except for the uniforms, it looked like a tape of many of the Dukes' recent games. Those 18 points in the first half, less than a point a minute, came on 25 percent shooting (they shot 35 for the game). This by the same team that scored 16 in the first half against Canisius.

Aaron Lovelace did his best to get them to 20 at the half, desperately firing a half-court shot to beat the buzzer. It slammed off the glass. In the second half, Lovelace, a 6-foot-7 sophomore, attacked Massachusetts inside like a 7-footer and ended up with a career-high 13 points. Freshman Wayne Smith scored five in the first half, playing only 9 minutes because of foul trouble, but ended up leading the Dukes again with 16 points, just under his average.

Dukes' Coach Darelle Porter is bearing up well, considering...

"I told our guys at halftime, if we put a couple points on the board, we're right in this game," Porter said. And they were down by 16 points at the break, 34-18.

Photo
Rafael Cruz
UMass file photo
The Dukes continued to be the devil's choice. This time, it was Rafael Cruz, a 6-2 sophomore guard from Puerto Rico, via Wheeling, W.Va., where Porter had recruited him. Cruz came into the game averaging 2.6 points and 4.3 minutes per game, and clearly not a great favorite of Coach Bruiser Flint. But in a chain reaction, Jonathan DePina started in place of the hobbled Charlton Clarke and, when DePina did nothing, in came Cruz, and he did something - a career night.

He went 4-for-4 in 3-pointers, and was 5-for-6 overall, and 2-for-2 in free throws for a career-high 16 points and 21 minutes. He was second only to Monty Mack's 19. Cruz's only miss was on an 8-footer. He'd gotten too close to the hoop.

The Dukes led for two eyeblinks, both in the first half, at 5-4 on Smith's 3-pointer at 17:10, and 9-7 on his left-handed hook shot at 13:35.

Then Clarke, with knees so bad he didn't start and played only 23 minutes, hit the first of his 3-pointers (he went 3-for-4), and Cruz started firing. The Minutemen reached a double-figure lead on Cruz's 3-pointer at 4:30 of the first half, and stayed comfortably ahead the rest of the way, reaching a high of 19 twice in the final six minutes.

The Dukes played fairly well on defense. Attacking the hoop, they frustrated Massachusetts' big man, 6-10 Lari Ketner, who had only 5 points and 4 rebounds. So the Minutemen went to the perimeter attack, and totaled 10 of 14 3-pointers (.714).

Porter, meanwhile, was handcuffed, with Smith in foul trouble. Smith picked up his fourth personal with 16:33 to play and, from there, Porter ran him in and out on offensive possessions, nursing him home. Smith got his 11 second-half points on four free throws, a dunk, a 3-pointer and a jumper.

But every time the Dukes seemed to be getting up steam, there was Cruz to stick a fork in them.

Did he ever have a streak like that before?

"Not really," Cruz said. "I never took that many shots before."

* * *

NOTES - Massachusetts is now 59-11 at Mullins Center. ... Dukes have now lost 12 straight at Massachusetts, dating to 1989.


Minutemen find 3-point range
By Matt Vautour, The Daily Hampshire Gazette Staff Writer, 1/14/1999

AMHERST - For one night, the University of Massachusetts men's basketball team's biggest weakness became its most effective weapon.

The Minutemen, who have struggled to shoot from the outside, rained 10 3-pointers on Atlantic 10 rival Duquesne (4-10, 0-4) en route to a 69-55 win in front of 5,308 at the Mullins Center.

"They had to shoot from the perimeter and they did a great job hitting some perimeter shots tonight," said Duquesne coach Darelle Porter. "They haven't been shooting that well this season. They hit some deep threes tonight."

The Minutemen (6-8, 3-1 A-10) had four players in double figures and won on a week night, both for the first time since the season opener against Niagara.

Photo
Monty Mack goes in for the easy layup.
Monty Mack led the Minutemen with 19, but the story was sophomore guard Rafael Cruz. He translated a career-high 21 minutes into a career-high 16 points. He buried 5-of-6 shots from the field, including all four 3-pointers.

"Rafael played well tonight," said UMass coach Bruiser Flint said. "He knocked down shots, so he got the minutes."

Senior guard Charlton Clarke, whose status was questionable before the game because of two inflamed knees, played 23 minutes, scoring 11 points and making four assists.

"We didn't know if Clarke was playing," Porter said. "But he limped in and hit some big threes and really got them going in the first half."

"I'm kind of sore," Clarke said. "I have some ice on my knees, but I'll be okay for Saturday. I'll definitely be okay for Saturday."

The Minutemen take on nationally ranked No. 15 Kansas Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Mullins Center.

Chris Kirkland continued his fine play with 11 points and a game-high seven rebounds. Center Lari Ketner was 2-of-8 from the floor, scoring five points and grabbing four boards.

Wayne Smith led the Dukes with 16 points. Duquesne (4-10, 0-4) hung with the Minutemen early as UMass led just 15-11, 11:13 into the game. But Clarke buried a 3-pointer to start a 15-1 run to give the hosts a 32-14 lead with 2:38 left in the half. UMass led, 34-18, at intermission.

UMass came out cold in the second half, however, and Duquesne started the frame on a 6-1 run to cut the lead to 35-24 with 17:50 remaining.

Photo
The UM win was cause for celebration.
UMass called a 20-second time-out and Flint inserted Cruz into the game. He promptly buried a 3-pointer to put UMass ahead, 38-24. The Minutemen never looked back.

UMass bucked another trend that has plagued it this season, making 11 of 15 free throws.

"We're getting better," Flint said. "We made foul shots tonight. That's been a big thorn in our side. We've been awful from the foul line. Guys stepped up and they were confident."


Patience pays off for Cruz
By Matt Vautour, The Daily Hampshire Gazette Staff Writer, 1/14/1999

AMHERST - Rafael Cruz tried to be patient.

Spending most of the season's first 13 games on the University of Massachusetts bench, Cruz was told by his teammates to keep at it and that his time would come.

He took some inspiration from his roommate, junior Chris Kirkland. Much like Cruz, Kirkland saw little playing time as a freshman and barely played in his sophomore year until the season's 13th contest, when he had a breakout game against Fordham. After that game, he was a regular in the Minuteman lineup for the rest of the year.

"We talk all the time. He's a guy that can really feel my pain from last year," Cruz said. "His freshman year he didn't play, either. His sophomore year, he worked hard and he played. Now this year things are starting to show for him."

Photo
Rafael Cruz grabs the rebound.
Last night Cruz got his chance. With senior captain Charlton Clarke suffering from injuries to both knees, Cruz knew he was going to see more time than usual. He was ready.

He checked in just under five minutes into the game and promptly was whistled for traveling. Undaunted, Cruz caught the ball just outside the 3-point arc shortly after and fired. The shot looked awkward leaving his hands, but it dropped through the hoop for points three, four and five of an 8-0 run. Cruz closed that run with a lay-up off an offensive rebound with 11 minutes left in the half.

When his second 3-pointer splashed through with 4:30 remaining in the half, the Mullins Center crowd roared. Cruz sank two free throws to finish the half leading all scorers with 10 points.

"Cruz came off the bench to hit some big shots," said Duquesne coach Darelle Porter, who had tried to recruit Cruz for the Dukes. "He's from Wheeling, W.V. which is just an hour from Pittsburgh. I tried to recruit him."

After the game Clarke lauded Cruz in the press conference.

"He was the star of the show today," Clarke said. "He was confident. He stepped up and made shots tonight and got us going. I was just glad he got a chance to go out there and showcase his talent."

Cruz was modest about his performance.

"Tonight was an opportunity. I just hit open shots. I always stay patient, I knew my time was going to come sometime.

"You always get frustrated when you don't play. Everybody wants to play, but the coaching staff, they've been talking to me and I've just accepted my role."

UMass coach Bruiser Flint warned against getting too excited.

Audio clip: Listen to some of Bruiser's post-game comments.
53k WAV
Courtesey: WHMP
"You gotta give it to him, the kid had a great game," Flint said. "He broke the game open in the second half by knocking down those two threes. But it's not always about scoring. For him to play, he has to defend and take care of the ball."

Cruz is aware of his shortcomings, but claims to be working hard to overcome them.

"We've been working on my defense, me and some of the coaches," he said. "Even though I didn't do great tonight, I did better than in the past. I probably won't be a Mike Babul or nothing, but I'll be all right.

"The coaches showed a lot of confidence in me to help me get into the groove of the game," Cruz continued. "It boosted my confidence."

Both Cruz and Flint expect his role to expand some.

"Now I know, if teams go into a zone, bang, we can throw Raffy in there," Flint said.

"Sometimes we just need a spark, someone to come off the bench to give us a little offense," Cruz said. "I would be glad to be that guy. I'm just trying to take my opportunities and make things happen."

Cruz had contemplated transferring last year, but is pleased he decided to stay.

"We had a talk and everything is great," Cruz said. "This is where I want to be."


Duquesne Dukes 55
Massachusetts Minutemen 69
at the Mullins Center

DUQUESNE (55)
                      fg    ft    rb
               min   m-a   m-a   o-t  a pf   tp
Smith           22  5-11   4-4   1-4  0  4   16
Lovelace        37   6-9   1-4   1-5  1  1   13
Stephenson      31   1-6   1-2   2-5  0  4    3
Stanfield       12   1-3   1-4   0-1  2  1    4
Wallace         40  2-13   5-7   0-1  5  2    9
Shand           22   3-8   0-1   4-5  0  3    6
Barker           1   0-0   0-0   0-0  0  0    0
Davis            9   0-1   0-0   0-2  0  1    0
Tann            20   1-4   0-0   0-1  0  1    2
Rackley-mann     6   1-1   0-0   1-2  0  2    2
_______________________________________________
TOTALS         200 20-56 12-22  9-26  8 19   55
_______________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.357, FT-.545. 3-Point Goals:
3-13, .231 (Smith 2-4, Stanfield 1-2, Wallace
0-5, Tann 0-2). Team rebounds: 7. Blocked shots:
3 (Shand, Wallace, Davis). Turnovers: 13 (Shand
4, Smith 4, Lovelace 2, Rackley-mann, Tann,
Wallace). Steals: 7 (Lovelace 3, Stanfield 2,
Davis, Shand).

MASSACHUSETTS (69)
                      fg    ft    rb
               min   m-a   m-a   o-t  a pf   tp
Kirkland        30   4-8   3-4   4-7  1  1   11
Babul           27   1-2   2-2   0-2  1  4    4
Ketner          31   2-8   1-2   0-4  4  3    5
Depina          15   1-2   0-0   0-0  1  1    2
M Mack          39  7-12   2-3   0-2  4  3   19
Clarke          23   4-6   0-0   0-1  4  4   11
Cruz            21   5-6   2-2   1-4  0  1   16
Rhymer          12   0-2   1-2   1-4  1  3    1
Basit            2   0-1   0-0   0-0  0  0    0
_______________________________________________
TOTALS         200 24-47 11-15  6-24 16 20   69
_______________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.511, FT-.733. 3-Point Goals:
10-14, .714 (M Mack 3-6, Clarke 3-4, Cruz 4-4).
Team rebounds: 7. Blocked shots: 8 (Ketner 4,
Kirkland 3, Babul). Turnovers: 18 (Cruz 4,
Kirkland 4, Depina 3, Clarke 2, M Mack 2, Ketner,
Rhymer). Steals: 4 (Depina 2, Kirkland, M Mack).
__________________________________
Duquesne           18   37  -   55
Massachusetts      34   35  -   69
__________________________________
Technical fouls: Duquesne 1 (Smith).  A: 5,308.
Officials: Mark Distrola, Tom Scott, John Hughes.

Back to the home page

Click Here to Visit Our Sponsor