Statesmen Outlast Missouri Baptist in Defensive Battle
Oskaloosa–The William Penn men’s basketball team delivered another Heart of America Athletic Conference upset Saturday, battling Missouri Baptist in a hard-fought 69-66 battle at home.
The Statesmen (14-5, 8-3 Heart) fell behind early, trailing 7-4 before pulling even at 9-9. Neither team was able to seize control in the opening half as the lead changed hands repeatedly. William Penn briefly gained momentum with a 7-2 run, but the Spartans answered to knot the game at 30-30 heading into halftime.
Offense came at a premium in the first half, with William Penn shooting just 31.3% from the field and 21.4% from beyond the arc. Foday Sheriff (Jr., Upper Darby, Pa., Business Management) led the way with eight points at the break.
The Statesmen surged out of the locker room, opening the second half on an 18-6 run to build separation. Missouri Baptist responded down the stretch, using a 16-3 run with five minutes remaining to reclaim the lead and set up a tense finish. William Penn closed the door with timely buckets, including a driving layup from Sheriff and a clutch jumper from Alif Bass (Jr., Newark, N.J., Sports Management), sealing the three-point victory.
Both teams finished shooting 38.3% from the floor. The Statesmen held a slight edge from long range, hitting 26.1% compared to Missouri Baptist’s 20%.
Sheriff paced William Penn with 14 points and 14 rebounds, completing his eighth double-double of the season. Javion Belle-McCrary (Sr., Reform, Ala., Sports Management) added 12 points, while Bass chipped in 10.
The Statesmen controlled the glass, outrebounding the Spartans 43-36 and holding a 15-12 advantage in offensive boards. Missouri Baptist narrowly led second-chance points 15-14. Turnovers were costly on both sides—William Penn committed 19, leading to 16 Spartan points, while Missouri Baptist turned the ball over 17 times, allowing 19 Statesmen points.
“This was an ugly game, but all that matters is the final score,” said Head Coach John Henry. “We really did not play well tonight, but we won. It’s a program staple—by one or by 100, just win.”
Up Next: William Penn travels to Des Moines to face Heart rival Grand View next Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
