William Penn Rallies to Stay Undefeated in MCC
Brandon Beasley lead the way for William Penn Wednesday night in their conference win over Viterbo.
Oskaloosa–The Statesmen basketball team fought through numerous obstacles Wednesday for a 76-62 win over Viterbo in Midwest Collegiate Conference action, setting up a monumental top-ten league battle this weekend.
#2 William Penn (20-1, 4-0 MCC) trailed by double digits early in the second stanza, but a tenacious defense and blistering shooting helped the hosts notch their sixth-consecutive win. The Statesmen will now hit the road Saturday to face #7 Mount Mercy (19-2, 4-0 MCC) in Cedar Rapids. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m.
The navy and gold flew out to an 8-2 lead only to witness the V-Hawks (12-9, 3-1 MCC) come right back, eventually leading 36-31 at halftime.
The Viterbo advantage grew to ten at 44-34 before William Penn, powered by a raucous crowd, stormed to within two on a 10-2 run. Buckets were exchanged over the next few minutes before Kevin Fay (Jr., Hennepin, Ill., Education) hit his only three-pointer to give the Statesmen the lead back for good at 55-52. William Penn finished strong by scoring 24 of the final 34 points.
Advantages on the floor (66.7%-27.3%) and on the glass (25-11) assisted the Statesmen to outscore the visitors 45-26 in the second half. The navy and gold finished the night with a 56.5%-35.5% shooting edge and a 37-29 lead in rebounding.
Brandon Beasley (Sr., Indianapolis, Ind., Physical Education) led all scorers with 25 points on 8-of-14 shooting (9-of-14 FT). The senior was also a defensive fiend with four blocks and two steals.
Keith Steffeck (Sr., Marion, Iowa, Physical Education) paced a trio of other Statesmen who reached double figures as he tallied 16 points in addition to a squad-best nine rebounds. Taylor Stoutner (Sr., Keota, Iowa, Physical Education), with 11 points, and James Devlin (Sr., Tampa, Fla., Sociology), with ten points, also hit the mark.
Arman Rasul (Sr., Chicago, Ill., Sociology) finished with eight points, while Blake Walker (Jr., Rose Garden, Ga., Physical Education) assisted on five scores.
“I am so proud of this team,” Head Coach John Henry said. “We overcame a lot and although it was not pretty, a win is a win. We are excited to face Mount Mercy Saturday and hope to have a great crowd behind us.”
