Fourteen Different Statesmen Score in Victory Over Tigers

Oskaloosa–The William Penn men’s basketball team came out on top in a non-conference matchup against the Iowa Wesleyan Tigers on Monday, earning the victory 111-69. The win improves the Statesmen to 17-1 overall.

The navy and gold got off to a hot start, winning the tip and sending the ball to Karmari Newman (Sr., Detroit, Mich., Digital Communication) who fired from way beyond the arc for his first three of the game with only nine seconds off the clock. Reyhan Cobb (Jr., Atlanta, Ga., Sociology) turned a strong offensive rebound into two points, and Kevion Blaylock (Sr., Houston, Texas, Information Technology) quickly earned a bucket as well. It took William Penn only 37 seconds to take a 7-0 lead, and the quick run forced an early timeout from the Tigers.

The scoring stagnated a bit, but Cobb and Q Cager (Sr., Hopkinsville, Ky., Wellness and Recreation) got the offense back on track with a pair of layups. Frederick Jackson (Sr., Killeen, Texas, Interdisciplinary Studies) checked into the game and made his presence felt with a dunk, then Cager added five more consecutive points to extend the lead to 20-7 after only five minutes.

The Statesmen continued to pile on, eventually doubling up the Tigers 42-21. After a Tiger’s basket, Blaylock got a lob from Cager and slammed it home to answer back. Just a couple minutes later, it was Cager to Blaylock again, and the second one had more power than the first. The navy and gold kept their foot on the gas pedal until the break, entering halftime with a 59-39 lead.

Blaylock led all scorers at the break with 12 points, also coming down with four rebounds. Cager had also reached double digits with 11, and Newman had eight. Cobb had a big performance as well, totaling six points and eight boards in only eight first-half minutes.

The second half scoring opened up with a layup from Blaylock, then Newman took a trip to the line and knocked down a trio of free throws. The lead continued to climb, and by the time the second-half was halfway over, Cager had extended the lead to 40 as his final bucket made the score 88-48. It was a 29-9 run to open the second frame from William Penn, and although the Tigers tried to climb their way out, the hole was just too big, and the navy and gold finished the game with a 42 point victory, their second largest margin of victory this season.

Blaylock led all scorers with 20 points, finishing just one rebound shy of a double-double. Cager had a great all-around game as well, finishing with 19 points, four assists, and three rebounds. Cobb turned in a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds, doing so in only 14 minutes.

Chanze Cruesoe (So., St. Louis, Mo., Business Management) reached double-digit points, tallying 11 with eight boards. Newman had 13, with all five starters crossing double digits for the game. Brandon Doss (Jr., Cincinnati, Ohio, Sports Management) added eight points off the bench, Langston Binns (Fr., St. Paul, Minn., Nursing) had seven, and Jackson and Muneer Newton (Fr., Philadelphia, Pa., Business Management) had six apiece. Fourteen different Statesmen scored points in the victory.

“Very happy with our attack of the basket off the dribble tonight,” said Head Coach John Henry. “I also like having all five starters in double digits.”