Big Second Half Propels Statesmen to First Heart Win
Oskaloosa, Iowa—The Statesmen kicked off its journey to reclaim the crown in the Heart of America Athletic conference with a showdown against last season’s champion, Benedictine.
#4 William Penn (6-0, 1-0 Heart) showcased a strong defensive presence throughout while the offense came alive in the second half to take down #9 Benedictine (1-5, 0-1 Heart) by the score of 84-58.
WPU jumped out in front early beginning the game on a 9-5 run but the Ravens countered with 10-0 run of their own to grab a 15-9 lead. The home squad regained the lead at the 10:26 mark courtesy of an Ahmad Pender (Jr., Chicago, Ill., Wellness and Recreation) put-back layup to make it 16-15. From there the two teams battled it out to end the half with the Statesmen gaining a 35-29 advantage at the break.
Despite struggling from the field in the first half, shooting just 29%, they were able to force 10 turnovers.
In the second half, the Statesmen began to find their rhythm offensively. Dexter Hood (Sr., Tuscaloosa, Ala.) gave his team their first double-digit lead of the ballgame with a two-point shot off a Q Cager (Jr., Hopkinsville, Ky.) assist at the 16:11 mark. William Penn opened up as large as a 26-point lead on multiple occasions in the win.
The navy and gold outshot the Ravens .378-.356 while outrebounding them 55-40.
Three Statesmen reached double-digits in the scoring column led by Hood with 18 points on 8-14 shooting. Brandon Faison (Jr., Charlotte, N.C.) finished with 15 points while Nathan Gehring (Jr., Waukee, Iowa) cashed in 11 points.
Eddie Daley (Jr., DeWitt, Mich., Business Management) led the team on the boards as he collected 10. Faison had eight rebounds while Gehring and Hood grabbed seven.
The uber-athletic duo of Cager and Pender stuffed the stat sheets as well. Cager produced nine points, five rebounds, and four assists while Pender finished with eight points and six rebounds.
“It was a slow start and grind but we eventually pulled away in this one.” Head Coach John Henry said, “Eddie Daley earned respect today, he worked all week to rehab an injured ankle because his team needed him and he played well. Our assistant coaches and scout team did a very good job of preparing us defensively for Benedictine.”
Next Up: The Statesmen will take on MidAmerica Nazarene in Olathe, Kansas on Wednesday with tip-off scheduled for 7:30 pm.
