Statesmen Fall to Mustangs
Oskaloosa – The William Penn women’s basketball team dropped a 56-50 decision to Mount Mercy in Heart Conference play Wednesday night at home.
The Statesmen struggled offensively, shooting 22.1% from the field while being outshot 39.5% by the Mustangs. William Penn forced 18 turnovers and committed just four of its own, converting those miscues into 15 points. Foul trouble also played a factor, as the Statesmen were whistled for 25 fouls compared to 14 for Mount Mercy.
Mount Mercy opened the scoring with a 3-pointer one minute into the contest before Neva’eh Diaz-Doolin (Fr., Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Biology) answered with a layup on the next possession.
The Mustangs followed with a run to take a 7-2 lead.
The teams traded baskets for the remainder of the first quarter, with Mount Mercy holding a 14-10 advantage at the break.
Diaz-Doolin scored the first point of the second quarter at the free-throw line, but Mount Mercy responded with another run to push its lead to 20-11 with 7:23 remaining in the half.
Reagan Pavesi (Jr., Austin, Texas, Wellness and Recreation) halted the run with a layup, sparking a surge by the Statesmen.
William Penn tied the game at 23-23 before Laney Parker (Jr., Springfield, Ill., Business Management) knocked down a 3-pointer to give the Statesmen their first lead of the night.
William Penn carried that momentum into halftime, leading 29-26.
Mount Mercy quickly erased the deficit early in the third quarter, tying the game at 31-31.
The Mustangs continued their run until Meghanne Freehill (Jr., Lewiston, Ill., Sports Management) connected from beyond the arc to make it 37-34, a score that held through the end of the quarter.
Momentum stayed with Mount Mercy in the fourth quarter as the Mustangs extended their lead to 53-40 with just over a minute remaining.
William Penn rallied late, cutting the deficit to 53-46 with 40 seconds left, but Mount Mercy sealed the game at the free-throw line.
Kayla Jones (Sr., Louisville, Ky., Psychology) led the Statesmen with nine points and five rebounds. Freehill and Pavesi each added eight points, while Kayla Peoples (Sr., Waco, Texas, Nursing) finished with seven points and three assists. Diaz-Doolin chipped in five points.
“Tough game tonight at home.” Head Coach Sheawn Bedford Jr. said. “Our effort and energy was there all night but unfortunately we couldn’t make shots. This is a disappointing outcome, but we will learn from it and prepare for MNU on Saturday.”
Next Up: The Statesmen travel to Olathe, Kansas to take on MidAmerica Nazarene in Heart play at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
