William Penn Overcomes Slow Start to Beat MVC
William Penn University Mens Basketball Coach John Henry holds the net in celebration as his team wrapped up their second consecutive conference title.
Oskaloosa–The defense produced just enough stops to complement a tremendous offensive effort as the William Penn men’s basketball team ended the regular season with a 107-93 Senior Day win over Missouri Valley in Heart of America Athletic Conference play Saturday.
#2 WPU (27-3, 23-3 Heart) won its ninth-straight game by eclipsing the century mark for the eighth time this year. The navy and gold, who had already broken the program record for most-consecutive home wins (now at 23, dating back to last year), also snapped the mark for single-season home wins Saturday with its 15th.
The Statesmen will now await results from the play-in round to see who they face in the Heart Tournament Quarterfinals next Thursday. The battle, which will begin at 7 p.m. in Oskaloosa, will feature either #8 seed Baker or #9 seed Peru State. WPU swept Peru State this year and was 1-1 against Baker.
In a contest that included 200 total points, the hosts were not out of the woods until late. William Penn led 17-10 early, but MVC (13-16, 11-15 Heart) rallied and went up by four twice before the Statesmen battled back to go ahead for good at 45-43. The home team was on top of Missouri Valley 48-45 at intermission.
WPU was shooting 54.5% at that point, but improved to 60.5% after halftime, eventually outshooting the Vikings 57.7%-52.3% overall.
The visitors trimmed the deficit to two at 69-67 with 11 minutes to go. William Penn was still ahead only three at 79-76 at the 7:16 mark, but locked up the victory with a 15-2 run over the next three minutes of action.
In addition to the hot shooting, the Statesmen also outrebounded Missouri Valley 40-30, leading to a difference-making 20-4 edge in second-chance points. The victors also committed two fewer turnovers (16-18) which helped them to an 18-12 advantage in points off turnovers.
Torren Jones (Sr., Chandler, Ariz., Sociology) guided William Penn with a massive double-double of 30 points and 11 rebounds; he was 11-for-15 from the floor.
Charles Knowles (Sr., Chicago, Ill., Physical Education) connected on five three-pointers (10-for-14 overall) as part of a 28-point effort. Jarvis Haywood (Sr., Charlotte, N.C., Business Management) surpassed the 20-point mark as well with 20 off the bench.
Kevin Smith (Sr., Baltimore, Md., Physical Education) posted eight points with six assists, while Dashawn Benson (Jr., Uniondale, N.Y., Sociology), with seven points, and Brandon Trotter (Jr., Louisville, Ky., Kinesiology), with six points, also contributed on the offensive end.
Lionel Ellison (Sr., New Orleans, La., Kinesiology) was productive in other areas with seven assists and four steals. William Penn accumulated 25 assists on its 41 made baskets.
“Senior Day is always emotional for everyone involved and today was no different,” Head Coach John Henry said. “I am so proud of this entire team.”
