Statesmen Win Regular Season Home Finale
Oskaloosa–The William Penn men’s basketball team finished off their regular season home schedule with a 106-79 victory over the Clarke Pride. The Statesmen are now 26-1 overall and 17-1 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference.
WPU immediately went on a 14-3 scoring run in the first four minutes of the game as Chanze Cruesoe (So., St. Louis, Mo., Business Management) and Kevion Blaylock (Sr., Houston, Texas, Information Technology) had five points each in the early going. The Pride called a timeout to halt the run, and came back strong after the break and cut the deficit all the way to one.
The navy and gold offense came back to life and extended the lead back out to eight, highlighted by a thunderous dunk from Q Cager (Sr., Hopkinsville, Ky., Wellness and Recreation). Blaylock and Cruesoe continued to pile-on with Cager, and the Statesmen entered halftime with a 53-38 lead.
Blaylock led all scorers with 14 points, also coming down with five rebounds. Cager and Cruesoe had each reached double-digits as well with 13 and 12, respectively. Cager nabbed four boards and had already come away with three steals, while Cruesoe had five rebounds and four assists at the break. Karmari Newman (Sr., Detroit, Mich., Digital Communication) also chipped in seven points in the first 20 minutes.
The Pride opened up with back-to-back baskets in the second half, but the Statesmen responded with 13 in a row. Reyhan Cobb (Jr., Atlanta, Ga., pushed the lead to 23 with a pair of baskets, then Cruesoe buried a triple. The hosts led by as many as 28 in the game, and led comfortably down the stretch as they prevented Clarke from holding any momentum in the second half as they took the 27-point win.
Blaylock led William Penn with 23 points, also adding seven rebounds. Cager filled up the stat sheet, totaling 18 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and four steals. Cruesoe finished just behind Cager with 17 points, also grabbing seven boards.
Muneer Newton (Fr., Philadelphia, Pa., Business Management) had a big game off the bench, really taking over in the final minutes. In only nine minutes, Newton earned a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds, including five offensive boards. Cobb also had a good showing with eight points, and was strong on the glass as usual with six rebounds. In his second game back, Ahmad Pender (Sr., Chicago, Ill., Wellness and Recreation) had seven points and eight rebounds.
The Statesmen shot 53.2% from the field, holding Clarke to an even 40% shooting day. William Penn dominated on the boards, out-rebounding Clarke 57-39, including 20 offensive rebounds, which led to 24 second-chance points.
“This was the final home game for our PA announcer RD Keep and our play-by-play announcer Kiley Broadway,” said Head Coach John Henry. “We will miss you both and thank you for your service and support.”
What’s Next: The Statesmen conclude their regular season on Saturday with a road contest against the Culver-Stockton Wildcats. Tipoff is scheduled for 4 PM.
