Statesmen Overwhelm Bobcats
William Penn University Athletics
by Wade Steinlage
Peru, Neb.–The William Penn women’s basketball team had no trouble in putting away an under-manned Peru State squad Saturday, winning the Heart of America Athletic Conference matchup 71-35.
WPU (8-3, 2-0 Heart) only shot 37.7% from the field, but limited the Bobcats (3-6, 0-2 Heart) to 21.3% overall. The Statesmen defense also forced PSC in 21 turnovers, which they converted into a 24-12 edge in points off mistakes.
The visitors pulled out to a 19-9 advantage after the first quarter of play against a Peru State team that is down to just five players on its roster. The Bobcats actually competed with only four on the hardwood during parts of Saturday’s contest.
William Penn’s margin grew to 22 at 38-16 by halftime, and the navy and gold managed to outscore the home team in the final two periods as well.
Playing without their leading scorer Sarah Hansen (Sr., Kewanee, Ill., Psychology and Human Services), who was unavailable due to mandatory military training, several individuals stepped up on the offensive side.
Jenna Santi (Jr., Oak Creek, Wis., Elementary Education) was the most impactful cager, tallying a game-high 18 points. The junior entered the afternoon with just four made three-pointers all year, but on Saturday, she connected on six of her nine long balls. Santi also finished with seven assists.
Vashti Nwagbaraocha (Jr., Milwaukee, Wis., Exercise Science) posted a solid double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds in addition to four steals. WPU dominated the glass with a 50-20 edge, including a 24-6 mark on the offensive end which resulted in a 16-3 mark in second-chance points.
Sham Troupe (Jr., St. Louis, Mo.) topped the victors with 13 boards, while also scoring eight points. Brynesha Mosby (Jr., Belleville, Ill., Biology) matched her with eight points, while JeAnn Hiraldo (Sr., Frisco, Texas, Industrial Technology) and Shamiah Oliver (Jr., Chicago, Ill., Education) both produced five points.
“We received great contributions from a lot of players,” Head Coach Steve Williamson said. “I thought Jenna Santi, Vashti Nwagbaraocha, and Sham Troupe really stepped up with Sarah Hansen not being available. Hopefully, we can carry this into future games.”
Next Up: William Penn closes out the pre-holiday portion of its schedule next Saturday by traveling to Springfield, Mo. to face Evangel in Heart play at 2 p.m.
