Another Title Appearance for Statesmen
Blake Walker became the first player at William Penn to record 1,000 points and 400 assists
Oskaloosa–For the seventh time in the past ten years, the William Penn men’s basketball team will fight for the league tourney title after defeating #5 seed Grand View 96-68 in the semifinals of the Midwest Collegiate Conference Tournament Friday.
The top-ranked Statesmen (29-1) broke the program record for wins on a night where all five starters reached double figures. They now host second-seeded (#10) Mount Mercy for the championship Sunday at 6 p.m.
William Penn led 44-30 at the break and blew out to a game-high 31-point edge just 5:21 into the second half.
Blake Walker (Jr., Rose Garden, Ga., Physical Education) did not lead WPU in scoring, but his 20 points helped him become the 20th player in school history to reach the 1,000-point plateau (currently 1,004 points). He also dished out six assists to become the third player ever to tally 400 career assists (currently 400). The junior is the first Statesmen to ever tally 1,000 points and 400 assists.
Keith Steffeck (Sr., Marion, Iowa, Physical Education) tallied a contest high with 24 points, while James Devlin (Sr., Tampa, Fla., Sociology) added 15 points.
Brandon Beasley (Sr., Indianapolis, Ind., Physical Education) posted his 13th double-double of the year with 12 points and ten rebounds. He finished only three assists shy of a triple-double. Taylor Stoutner (Sr., Keota, Iowa, Physical Education) met double figures as well with ten points. Ross Howe (Jr., State Center, Iowa, Undecided) topped the bench with six points.
Steffeck, with two blocks, and Stoutner, with two steals, guided the defensive effort.
William Penn dominated the boards 52-31, but struggled a bit with control in its lone trouble spot. The hosts’ 15 turnovers (ten for GVU) led to a 23-14 edge for the Vikings (12-15) in points off turnovers.
