Mustangs breeze past Cubs in regular season finale
Comments (...)MONROE — The PCM boys basketball team is much more than just Scott Bruxvoort.
The Mustangs did all they could to prove that for their second straight game Tuesday night, playing without the senior star against Nevada and coming away with a second straight dominating win, 73-52 over the Cubs at home.
With Bruxvoort — who averages 23.4 points per game — still sidelined with an ankle injury, fellow seniors Jordan Van Roekel, Hutch Burns and a host of other PCM players rose to the occasion in his absence to provide a balanced scoring night for the Mustangs. They started fast and led 38-26 at halftime, and then used a 15-0 run in the second half to pull away and end the regular season with their 15th-consecutive victory.
“We knew going into the game that Scott wasn’t going to play, so we all had to step up,” said Van Roekel, who had a game-high 19 points. “We had role players come off the bench and do exactly that. With our bench and our starters, we had balanced scoring all the way through.”
Ten different players scored for the Mustangs (19-2, 17-1 Heart of Iowa Conference), and coach Fred Lorensen was able to get his entire bench into the game in the fourth quarter. Van Roekel was joined in double figures by Burns’ 15 points, while Scott’s sophomore brother Dillon had 10.
“We were concerned before the game started where our points would come from,” Lorensen said. “When you lose 24 a game, you kind of miss that,” Lorensen said. “I thought the kids really stepped up.”
Van Roekel was simply unstoppable in the first quarter, scoring 13 points, including PCM’s first 11 of the game. The Mustangs ended the quarter on Burns’ fade away, NBA-range 3-pointer right at the buzzer to put them up 22-11.
The teams traded baskets in the second quarter and for most of the third. It was the Dillon Bruxvoort show for the first half of the third as he scored PCM’s first three baskets of the half — including two 3-pointers — and Nevada (9-10, 9-9) wasn’t able to get any closer than an 11-point deficit.
“Jordan Van Roekel really had a great first quarter to get us going,” Lorensen said. “Dillon Bruxvoort really hit some shots at the start of the second half that picked us up again.”
Then it was Burns’ turn to take over. With PCM up 49-34, his basket sparked a 13-0 run that carried into the fourth quarter and kept the Mustang fans at ease with their team ahead 62-38. He had nine points in that run, including six straight. He ended the third quarter by hitting a 3-pointer with 35 seconds left, then grabbed a steal and finished it with a bucket moments later.
The teams traded points the rest of the way, and Lorensen had his starters out of the game with 2 1/2 minutes to play.
“Our defensive and rebounding was the difference,” Lorensen said. “We got a lot of second- and third-chance points. We did a pretty good job of holding them to one shot most of the time.”
“I think the big thing was hustling after rebounds,” Van Roekel added. “We had a ton of hustle plays. That opens up lay-ups and everything.”
PCM made six 3-pointers in the game and committed only 10 fouls.
While the Mustangs would certainly prefer to have Scott Bruxvoort in their lineup, they were encouraged by how well they’ve played the past two games without him.
“A lot of people around the state might think we’re one-dimensional if they haven’t seen us play. We know we’re not,” Van Roekel said. “Scott’s a great player and one of the best in the state, but we still have other scorers and play good defense. That’s where it starts.”
The good news for PCM is that Bruxvoort is expected to be fine to play in the Mustangs’ next game — which isn’t until Feb. 16. PCM hosts the winner of Pella Christian and Albia in the second round.
“At first we didn’t like the nine days off, but then once Scott got hurt, it turned into a good thing,” Lorensen said. “It gives him time to get healed up a little bit more.”
“I’m going to love the week off,” Van Roekel added. “We have some guys that are banged up, and it will be good to have Scott back. We’ll have a good week of practice and get mentally prepared. In the postseason, everyone has the same record as you do.”
PCM hasn’t played Albia this season, while Pella Christian dealt the Mustangs one of their two losses, a 53-49 defeat at home on Dec. 8.
PCM 73, Nevada 52
Score by quarter
NEV - 11 15 8 18 — 52
PCM - 22 16 20 15 — 73
PCM individual scoring — Jordan Van Roekel 19, Hutch Burns 15, Dillon Bruxvoort 10, Nathan VandeWall 9, Andrew McCarthy 5, Michael Neff 5, Sean O’Connor 4, Zach DeWitte 2, Alex DeWitte 2, Sam Munson 2. Rebounds — Bruxvoort 9, Van Roekel 5. Steals — Burns 3, Bruxvoort 2. Assists — Burns 3, Bruxvoort 2.
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