Basketball Recap: Elias Ruiz Leads a Balanced Attack to Beat Merced

By Team Reports Jan 18, 2025, 2:50am

Basketball Recap: El Capitan Gauchos vs. Merced Bears

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El Capitan won the last time they faced Merced and things went their way on Wednesday too. The El Capitan Gauchos came out on top against the Merced Bears by a score of 56-46. The victory was some much needed relief for the Gauchos as it spelled an end to their three-game losing streak.

Elias Ruiz

Steals

01/15/25 @ Merced5
11/30/24 vs Downey5
01/03/25 vs Ripon1
12/02/23 vs Delta4
12/03/24 @ Turlock4

El Capitan's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Elias Ruiz led the charge by putting up seven points along with six rebounds and five steals. That's the most steals Ruiz has posted since back in November of 2024. Another player making a difference was Anthony Jones, who posted 12 points and seven boards.

Several Bears players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Jovian Martinez, who scored 12 points and seven rebounds. Jordan Thomas was another key player, posting seven points and three steals.

El Capitan's record now sits at 10-7. As for Merced, the loss snapped their winning streak at three games and leaves them with a 11-8 record.

El Capitan wasted no time getting back out on the court and has already played their next game, a 72-36 win against Buhach Colony on the 17th. As for Merced, they also didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next matchup, a 53-40 victory against Los Banos on the 17th.

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