Statesmen Begin National Tournament with Victory
Oskaloosa–The William Penn men’s basketball team opened their national tournament journey with an 83-72 victory over the Bellevue Bruins, also matching a program record with their 20th consecutive win in the process.
The game got started in classic WPU fashion, as Frederick Jackson (Sr., Killeen, Texas, Interdisciplinary Studies) flushed one home to open the scoring and Kevion Blaylock (Sr., Houston, Texas, Information Technology) jammed a lob from Chanze Cruesoe (So., St. Louis, Mo., Business Management) on the ensuing possession. Both teams struggled to score in the opening minutes, but another dunk from Blaylock and a triple from Karmari Newman (Sr., Detroit, Mich., Digital Communication) helped push the Statesmen ahead.
The score remained just 13-11 at the 11 minute mark, but Cruesoe got a steal at midcourt and took it himself for the flush. The navy and gold continued to hold a slim lead until halftime, and entered the break with a 41-37 advantage. The two teams shot to a near standstill, with WPU holding a slim lead at 48.5% compared to 48.1% for the Bruins, while the visitors held a slight advantage on the boards, 16-15.
Jackson once again opened up the scoring in the second half, turning a layup into a three-point play. He continued to be a big force on offense, scoring eight points through the first five minutes of the half. The Statesmen defense started to create opportunities as well, as a Josh Watkins (Sr., Chicago, Ill., Sports Management) steal turned into a patented Q Cager (Sr., Hopkinsville, Ky., Wellness and Recreation) lob, with Ahmad Pender (Sr., Chicago, Ill., Wellness and Recreation) on the receiving end for the finish. A couple possessions later, Pender did it all himself, forcing the turnover and taking it himself for the dunk, giving the hosts their largest lead of the day at 67-54. The defense continued to play well and the hosts hit a number of free throws down the stretch to advance to the next round.
Jackson was the leading scorer for the Statesmen, scoring 16 points on a remarkably efficient day after shooting 7-8 from the floor and nailing both of his free throw attempts. Blaylock turned in a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds.
All five Statesmen starters cracked double-figures in points, as Newman had 13, Cager finished with 11, and Cruesoe added 10. Cager also grabbed seven boards, while Cruesoe earned six assists. Pender had a strong performance off the bench with nine points and seven rebounds, while Rodrigo Soares (Fr., Dallas, Texas, Sports Management) had six points off the bench as well.
“This was a tough win,” said Head Coach John Henry. “Bellevue really gave us a game, but advancing is all that matters. Ahmad Pender was a huge factor off the bench.”
What’s Next: The Statesmen will play again tomorrow in Penn Gymnasium, and will matchup with the #22 ranked Indiana University Kokomo Cougars. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 PM.
