Turnovers Hurt Statesmen in Setback to Park
Oskaloosa–The William Penn women’s basketball team could not overcome turnover issues as it fell 70-52 to Park in Heart of America Athletic Conference play Saturday.
WPU (3-15, 2-12 Heart) was outshot 44.4%-39.1%, but bettered the visiting crew in the rebounding battle 36-33. Unfortunately, the Statesmen were hurt the most in ball control with 30 turnovers. Conversely, the Pirates (8-10, 5-9 Heart) committed just eight mistakes, leading to a 36-13 edge in points off turnovers for the visitors.
The hosts trailed 10-3 early, but rallied to within one at 15-14 at the 4:48 mark in the first quarter. William Penn, which trailed 27-16 after the first 10 minutes, unfortunately could not slow PU, while also struggling offensively (eight points in the second quarter). At halftime, the Statesmen faced a 41-24 deficit.
The navy and gold continued to compete, trimming the margin to 14, but the Pirates went a huge run to put the game out of reach in the fourth period. William Penn did, however, close strong by scoring 14 of the last 16 points to make the final score much more respectable.
WPU was outscored 16-8 in second-chance points, but countered with a solid outing at the free-throw line by going 14-for-20.
Alyssa Hames (Jr., Ackley, Iowa, Psychology) topped the home squad with a double-double of 16 points and 12 rebounds. Mercer Roberts (Sr., Myrtle Beach, S.C., Wellness and Recreation) also hit double digits with 10 points, while Ally Stewart (Sr., Victoria, Australia, Sports Management) notched eight points.
Aysia Arrowood (Jr., Wichita, Kan., Sports Management) added seven points and Joslyn Herbeck (Sr., Fond du Lac, Wis., Sociology) managed a five-point performance. The trio of Hames, Stewart, and Herbeck all dished out three assists Saturday.
“I was really proud of our effort today,” Head Coach Joe McKinstry said. “While giving up a good amount of offensive rebounds, we did win the overall rebounding margin which shows how hard we competed. We struggled in the first half to find an offensive rhythm and committed way too many turnovers; we just could not overcome that.”
Next Up: William Penn remains in Oskaloosa next Monday to host MidAmerica Nazarene in Heart play at 5:30 p.m.
