Larane, Rodriguez Each with 26 as Statesmen Top Red Raiders
University Park, Ill.–The William Penn men’s basketball team got the better of Northwestern in another high scoring non-conference matchup, this time winning 104-99 as part of the Governors State Classic Friday.
The Statesmen (2-0), who fell to the Red Raiders 128-106 a year ago, turned the tables Friday, courtesy of a 50.8%-45.5% shooting edge. The squad did a good chunk of its damage behind the arc, making 17 of its 35 three-pointers (48.6%), while limiting NWC (1-1) to a 30.6% mark (11-for-36).
WPU started flat-footed, falling behind 9-0 and eventually 17-5. The WPU offense finally found its footing when a three-pointer from Jake Harbatkin (Fr., West Palm Beach, Fla., Kinesiology) triggered a 14-2 run. WPU held a slight edge heading into half time at45-42, converting 50% of it first-half three-pointers (8-for-16), compared to Northwestern’s 30.0% (6-for-20).
WPU came out of the halftime break ready to go as it expanded its lead, holding a 73-59 advantage over the Red Raiders with 12:47 remaining. NWC put up a last fight in the waning seconds, but the Statesmen held strong with free throws by Malik Larane (Sr., Palmdale, Calif., Sports Management), Donovan Rodriguez (Sr., Philadelphia, Pa. , Sports Management), and Maki Pettigrew (Jr., Philadelphia, Pa., Business Management).
The Statesmen were once again led by a two-man show, as Larane and Rodriguez both finished with 26 points. Larane, who sat out the first game due to injury, came off the bench and went 10-for-15 from the field (4-for-6 3-PT). Rodriguez also made four three-pointers (7-for-12 FG overall), and also excelled at the free-throw line (8-for-9). As a squad, WPU was 26-for-35 at the charity stripe, while Northwestern was 18-for-26.
Alif Bass (Sr., Newark, N.J. , Sports Management) added 14 points of his own, while dishing out eight assists. Harbatkin had 12 points in a non-starting role, while the duo of Pettigrew and Brayden Long (Jr., Bradley, Ill.) each tallied 11.
Larane just missed a double-double with nine rebounds, while William Penn lost the battle of the glass, 50-44. The team was able to overcome being outscored 28-10 in second-chance points that came off a 19-12 deficit in offensive rebounds.
The hot shooting came in clutch to also fight off ball-control issues. The squad overcame 13 turnovers (10 for NWC) that resulted in the Red Raiders holding a 19-14 edge in points off mistakes.
Behind Larane’s 26, the Statesmen bench outscored NWC’s crew 42-6.
“This was a great win for our team,” Head Coach John Henry said. “We shot the ball really well, especially in the second half. We were not sure if Malik Larance would play, but thank goodness he did.”
Up Next: The Statesmen stay in town as they prepare for day two of the Governors State Classic, facing off against host Governors State at 1 p.m. Saturday.
