William Penn Back to Fab Four with 89-76 Win Over Our Lady of the Lake
Terrell Thompson (Sr., Indianapolis, Ind., Wellness and Recreation) was incredible in all aspects with 17 points in addition to seven assists, seven rebounds, and three steals. The senior was 7-for-10 at the line, while the Statesmen finished 20-for-29 overall.
by Wade Steinlage
Kansas City, Mo.–The Statesmen men’s basketball team did not need any luck on St. Patrick’s Day as it rolled past Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) 89-76 in the quarterfinals of the NAIA Division I National Championships Saturday.
Top-seeded WPU (30-4) claimed the Cramer bracket and will now face #4 seed LSU Alexandria (Naismith bracket winner) of the Red River Conference in Monday’s semifinals at 8 p.m. For the fourth-straight game at nationals, William Penn will be facing an opponent for the first time ever.
The navy and gold are returning to the semifinals for the second year in a row and will join fellow Heart of America Athletic Conference program Graceland in the Fab Four. LSU Shreveport, also of the Red River Conference, will be GU’s opponent in the 6 p.m. matchup.
WPU’s victory gets the program to 30 wins for the third time in school history, all since 2012-2013.
William Penn, who finally faced an opponent which allowed it to play at a fast pace, outshot the sixth-seeded Saints (23-12), also of the Red River Conference, 51.7%-39.1% and crushed them on the boards 47-30.
The Statesmen scored first, but then fell behind 7-3 in the opening two minutes before taking the lead for good at 14-13 on a three-pointer by JC Washington (Sr., Houston, Texas, Sociology). The senior made a pair of trifectas, while the victors hit eight of their nine total three-pointers in the first stanza.
The margin ballooned to 10 points at one point at 44-34, but the Statesmen could not pull away prior to halftime, leading just 44-39.
OLL continued to pester William Penn after intermission, eventually knotting the contest at 50-50 with 15:45 still remaining. Ahead just 56-54 with 13:15 on the clock, the navy and gold found their groove once again with six consecutive points.
The Saints knocked down back-to-back long bombs to draw within five, but they would get no closer as the Statesmen played their best down the stretch. WPU allowed Our Lady of the Lake to trim the margin to nine at 75-66 with 4:50 left, but eight unanswered put the game on ice.
The lone chink in the team’s armor was again turnovers committed with 13 (OLL had nine), but William Penn managed to get on the top side in points off turnovers at 11-8. Despite having three more offensive rebounds (14-11), the crew was unfortunately outscored 16-11 in second-chance points.
Eleven players scored in an incredibly-balanced attack with Washington posting a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. He also had four assists and a game-high three blocks.
Like Washington, Terrell Thompson (Sr., Indianapolis, Ind., Wellness and Recreation) was equally incredible in all aspects with 17 points in addition to seven assists, seven rebounds, and three steals. The senior was 7-for-10 at the line, while the Statesmen finished 20-for-29 overall.
Dominique Shaw (Sr., Lufkin, Texas, Wellness and Recreation), with 14 points, and Aakim Saintil (Sr., West Orange, N.J., Business Management), with 12 points, also hit the double-figure mark.
Saintil got WPU off to a strong start with 11 points before halftime, while Thompson powered his team through the second period with 15 points.
Brandon Trotter (Sr., Louisville, Ky., Kinesiology) was a perfect 3-for-3 from the field for six points, while the trio of Corbin Medley (Sr., Rogersville, Mo., Business Management), Antonio Foster (Jr., Chicago, Ill., Sports Management), and Mikeal Donaldson (Sr., Columbia, S.C., Wellness and Recreation) each added five points.
“Tonight is as well as we have played in a while,” Head Coach John Henry said. “Everyone knows what we have been through and while we will never forget Marquis, we finally played with clear minds and hearts. We finally looked like we came to play ball and had a huge weight off our shoulders.”
“This was a completely balanced attack with a great team effort,” Henry added. “I am happy we got so many people into the game and that so many contributed.”
Tournament coverage made possible with support from:
Wyndell Campbell State Farm, Clow Valve Company, Penn Central Mall, Gardner Collier Jewelry, MidWestOne Bank, Legacy Real Estate, Mahaska Communication Group, Langkamp Funeral Chapel & Crematory, Kinetic Edge Physical Therapy, and Mahaska Health Partnership.
MidWestOne Insurance Services, Interiors by Val, Boyle & Henderson, Stam Greenhouse, EyeCare Partners, Mahaska Drug, and United Way.
