Statesmen Lock Up Home Quarterfinal with Road Win at MVC
Marshall, Mo.–The William Penn men’s basketball team stormed back in the second half to secure an 88-82 victory over Missouri Valley in Heart of America Athletic Conference action Saturday.
With the win, the Statesmen return to the Heart Championship for the first time since the 2022-2023 season. The No. 2-seeded WPU will host No. 7 Benedictine next Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. in Penn Gym.
Missouri Valley (18-10, 12-8 Heart) came out strong, building an early 13-6 advantage before William Penn (22-6, 16-4 Heart) answered to take an 18-16 lead. A 10-0 run by the Vikings shifted momentum back in their favor. The Statesmen trimmed the deficit to 35-33, but MVC closed the half on a push to claim a 49-40 lead at the break.
Despite shooting 56% overall and 50% from beyond the arc in the first half, William Penn found itself trailing as Missouri Valley connected on 52.9% of its shots and 50% from deep while attempting nine more field goals. Daivion Boleware (Jr., Jackson, Mich., Psychology) paced the squad early with 14 first-half points on a perfect shooting performance. Foday Sheriff (Jr., Upper Darby, Pa., Business Management) and Javion Belle-McCrary (Sr., Reform, Ala., Sports Management) added 12 and 10 points, respectively, before intermission.
The Statesmen flipped the script after halftime. William Penn opened the second stanza with a 15-6 run to knot the contest at 55-55. A dunk from Chase Page (Sr., Melbourne, Australia, Business Management) handed the Navy and Gold the lead, igniting a 13-4 stretch that pushed the advantage to 73-62.
Missouri Valley clawed back within 78-74, but the teams traded baskets down the stretch as William Penn held firm to close out the 88-82 victory.
For the game, the Statesmen shot 48.5% from the floor and 39.3% from three-point range, while MVC finished at 46.7% overall and 37.5% from beyond the arc.
Boleware led all scorers with 24 points on 88.9% shooting, adding nine rebounds and two steals. Sheriff and Belle-McCrary each finished with 19 points, with Sheriff securing a double-double behind 11 rebounds and seven assists. Page also recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
William Penn dominated the glass, owning a 44-24 rebounding edge, including a 14-3 margin on the offensive boards. The Statesmen did commit 15 turnovers that resulted in 25 Missouri Valley points, while forcing 11 Viking miscues for 12 points of their own.
“This was an amazing win for us. We played the best second half in this game of our entire season,” said Head Coach John Henry. “So happy and proud for all the players and coaches!”
Next Up: William Penn hosts Benedictine in the Heart Championship Quarterfinals next Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. in Penn Gym.
