Walker’s Double-Double Paces WPU to 98-72 Win Over AIB
Blake Walker (3) in action against AIB
Oskaloosa–Five players hit the double-digit plateau as the Statesmen men’s basketball team crushed AIB 98-72 in Midwest Collegiate Conference play Wednesday.
Despite starting the game with seven-straight missed shots (six on the first possession alone), William Penn (11-6, 1-1 MCC) got into the league’s win column fairly easily. The squad held a 44.3%-40.3% shooting edge and dominated in basically every other area as well.
The hosts pulled out to a 19-7 edge just 7:15 into the evening and led 54-33 at halftime. WPU then scored the first two points of the second stanza, but the Eagles (0-18, 0-3 MCC) showed they had some fight in them with 13 unanswered points to cut the margin to 11 at 57-46 with 15:15 left in regulation.
Fortunately, AIB’s run only awoke the sleeping giant as WPU recorded eight in a row and was never threatened again.
The Statesmen outrebounded the visitors 52-38, accounting for a 20-13 advantage in second-chance points. William Penn committed 11 turnovers and forced AIB into 13 mistakes.
Marc Wilson (Sr., Los Angeles, Calif., Physical Education) topped his team with 19 points, while Blake Walker (Sr., Rose Garden, Physical Education) managed a double-double with 17 points and ten assists. He was just four rebounds shy of a triple-double showing. It is his second double-double of the season.
Courtesy of a squad-best five three-pointers, Roberts Baltruns (So., Riga, Latvia, Business Management) also tallied 17 points. Kelly Madison (Jr., Des Moines, Iowa, Physical Education) finished with 14 points and Logan Alexander (So., Eddyville, Iowa, Undecided) posted 12 points.
In addition to eight points, Erik McGee (Jr., Oskaloosa, Iowa, Elementary Education) also led all players with nine rebounds.
William Penn, which entered the night shooting just 64% at the free-throw line, was excellent Wednesday by going 15-for-17 (89.5%).
Next: William Penn travels to Dubuque Saturday to face Clarke in MCC play at 3 p.m.
