Statesmen Wrap Up Home Schedule with Victory Over Pride
Oskaloosa–The William Penn men’s basketball team sent its seniors out smiling as it defeated Clarke 93-83 in Heart of America Athletic Conference action Wednesday.
WPU (6-21, 5-18 Heart) made over half of its field-goal attempts on Senior Night, outshooting the Pride 50.8%-42.9, while also posting a 51-34 edge in rebounds. Those marks helped the hosts overcome 20 turnovers (12 for CU).
The score seesawed in the opening stanza with Clarke (7-20, 5-18 Heart) holding the slimmest of halftime margins at 42-41.
Manny Hammonds (Fr., Des Moines, Iowa, New Media) knocked down a jumper a couple minutes into the second half to put the navy and gold up 50-48 and they never trailed again. The Pride did not wave the proverbial white flag, however, as they answered every William Penn run.
Wednesday was still a one-possession contest with five minutes to go, but Cam Marshall (So., San Diego, Calif., Sports Management) hit a trifecta and Hammonds scored three the old-fashioned way with a layup and a free throw as the Statesmen put the game on ice. The win avenges WPU’s 98-90 road setback to Clarke back on November 11.
The home squad used its advantage on the boards to outscore CU 20-3 in second-chance points. Conversely, its errors led the Pride to post a 27-12 edge in points off turnovers.
Three Statesmen had at least 20 points with Marshall scoring 24 in a non-starting role. The sophomore connected on six of his 10 three-pointers (7-for-11 overall) and also made all four free throws as part of a 24-point effort.
Jaz Farrell (Sr., Miramar, Fla., Interdisciplinary Studies) matched him with 24 points, including going 7-for-8 at the line. Larontae Mormant (Sr., Bloomington, Minn., Business Management) also enjoyed an incredible last game in Penn Gymnasium, finishing 10-for-13 from the field en route to a double-double of 22 points and 11 rebounds.
Hammonds hit double figures as well with 10 points, while Ontario Chapman (Sr., Evanston, Ill., Psychology) added six.
Marcus Bell (Sr., Shreveport, La., Exercise Science) accounted for just one point, but his efforts were large in other areas as he managed a double-double with 14 rebounds and 10 assists.
The Statesmen spent a great deal of time at the charity stripe with 34 chances, but struggled to take advantage by hitting only 19 shots (55.9%). Fortunately, Clarke also had a rough night at the line (13-for-23, 56.5%).
“It was fun to win again,” Head Coach John Henry said. “All four of our seniors played well and I am very happy for them to get this win on Senior Night. Cam Marshall also hit some huge shots for us off the bench.”
Next Up: William Penn wraps up its season Saturday by facing MidAmerica Nazarene in Heart competition at 4 p.m.
