Statesmen Roll Past Hannibal-LaGrange, 93–65

Oskaloosa–The William Penn men’s basketball team overcame a sluggish first half to post a commanding 93–65 non-conference win over Hannibal-LaGrange Thursday.

The Statesmen (4–0) traded buckets early with the Trojans (2-2), trailing 28–24 with just over four minutes left in the first half before closing the period on a decisive 14–3 run.

Despite shooting just 41.4% from the field on 29 attempts, WPU carried momentum into the break behind 11 points from Foday Sheriff (Sr., Upper Darby, Pa., Business Management).

William Penn wasted no time after intermission, opening the second half with a 16–6 surge to take a 54–37 advantage. The Navy and Gold maintained control the rest of the way, using a late 8–4 push to seal their fourth straight win.

Sheriff led the Statesmen with 17 points and eight rebounds. Javion Belle-McCrary (Sr., Reform, Ala., Sports Management) followed with 16 points and three steals, while Malik Larane (Jr., Palmdale, Calif., Sports Management) added 13. Donovan Rodriguez (Jr., Philadelphia, Pa., Sports Management) and Daivion Boleware (Jr., Jackson, Mich., Psychology) rounded out the double-figure scorers with 12 and 10, respectively.

Boleware also grabbed eight boards, and Chase Page (Sr., Melbourne, Australia, Business Management) tallied three blocks.

The Statesmen improved their efficiency in the second half, finishing 41.7% from the field and 32.4% from three-point range. They also excelled at the line, hitting 81.5% of their free throws. Hannibal-LaGrange shot 37.3% overall and just 22.2% from long distance.

Depth once again proved to be a difference-maker, with WPU holding a 35–24 advantage in bench points and a 10–4 edge in fast-break scoring. The Statesmen dominated the glass 45–37, converting 16 offensive rebounds into 16 second-chance points, and their defensive pressure forced 22 turnovers, leading to an 18–13 advantage in points off turnovers.