To the Elite 8!! Statesmen Defeat Bethel (Ind.) 101-84
The William Penn erupts in excitement during the NAIA Division II National Championships Friday against Bethel.
Point Lookout, Mo.–The William Penn men’s basketball team weathered a second-half storm and then went on a huge run for a 101-84 win over #17 seed Bethel (Ind.) in the second round of the NAIA Division II National Championships Friday.
The top-seeded Statesmen (32-1) went wire-to-wire for the victory and will now meet #25 seed Midland (Neb.) in the quarterfinals Saturday at 1 p.m.
The navy and gold, who had never won a game at the Championships entering this season, played much better in the second round. They rushed out to a 10-2 advantage and then blew out to a 20-point edge at 45-25. Unfortunately, the Pilots (25-10) closed out the first half on an 11-3 run to make for a 48-36 WPU halftime lead. The Statesmen were strong from behind the arc in the opening 20 minutes, hitting eight three pointers. Keith Steffeck (Sr., Marion, Iowa, Physical Education) paced his squad with 19 points before the break.
The margin expanded to 54-40 in the early part of the second stanza, but Bethel slowly crawled back courtesy of William Penn’s cold shooting. The Pilots managed to get within one at 65-64 with 10:30 remaining, forcing Head Coach John Henry to call a timeout. The huddle was well worth it as the Statesmen came out on fire on both ends to post a game-deciding 17-0 run over the next four-plus minutes of play. William Penn, which outshot the Pilots 44.4%-41.9%, cruised from there to reach its first-ever national quarterfinals. The Statesmen managed a 15-of-41 showing from downtown.
Steffeck finished with a game-high 26 points on 8-of-16 shooting (6-of-10 3-PT). The senior, who posted a double-double with an additional 13 rebounds, also made all four of his free throws as WPU finished 22-of-29 at the charity stripe.
The Statesmen, as they have several times before, fought through foul trouble in the second round. Brandon Beasley (Sr., Indianapolis, Ind., Physical Education) was hit hardest by the officials’ calls as he was limited to just eight points. The senior fouled out late, as did Blake Walker (Jr., Rose Garden, Ga., Physical Education), who also recorded eight points.
James Devlin (Sr., Tampa, Fla., Sociology) did most of his damage at the line, going 11-of-12 en route to 23 points. He also dished out seven assists and matched Beasley with three steals.
Taylor Stoutner (Sr., Keota, Iowa, Physical Education) was not as efficient as Steffeck from deep, but still went 6-of-17 for 21 points. Arman Rasul (Sr., Chicago, Ill., Sociology) finished with eight points, while Kevin Fay (Jr., Hennepin, Ill., Education) contributed seven points in the win.
The 101-point tally is the most so far at this year’s Championships and is the 11th time William Penn has eclipsed the century mark this season.
The higher seed outrebounded the Pilots 45-36. Beasley and Steffeck both blocked three shots Friday.
“James and Blake’s performances started it all for us,” Henry said. “James had a different look today and everyone fed off that. Keith and Taylor made shot after shot that opened up the game for us.”
“The fact we had so many games this year where we overcame foul trouble or injuries helped us again today,” Henry added. “Our poor performance against McPherson actually allowed us to refocus for today. We watched game film of ourselves instead of Bethel to get back to the basics of our style of basketball.”
Henry also credited the William Penn crowd for being the sixth man that has helped the Statesmen feel at home down at nationals.
“Our fans have made Keeter Gymnasium feel like home for us,” Henry said. “We have by far the most fans down here; they make it feel like we are playing in a bowl game. It just makes me so proud to be a Statesmen. William Penn is one win from being in the Final Four!! How great does that sound?”
Looking ahead, William Penn’s quarterfinal opponent Midland is 21-12 overall and finished third in the Great Plains Athletic Conference with a 12-8 mark.
“Midland Head Coach Todd Eisner is one of the best coaches in the NAIA,” Henry said. “They also have one of the best players in the nation in James Parrott. They are playing incredible down here and will be a great opponent in the quarterfinals.”
