William Penn Dominates in Overtime to Claim Victory

Hannibal, Mo.– The Statesmen men's basketball team needed overtime to get it done on the road, but came away with a 97-85 non-conference victory over Hannibal-LaGrange Saturday. 

William Penn (3-1) started strong, opening the first half with a 7-0 run and building up to a nine-point lead. However, as halftime approached, the Trojans (1-2) cut the advantage to five with just three minutes remaining. Despite the hot start, WPU struggled with efficiency, shooting 43.4% from the field overall, compared to H-LG's 54.0%. 

Roy Jones III (Jr., Pensacola, Fla., Psychology) led the Statesmen in the opening 20 minutes as he scored all 10 of his points before the break.

The second half saw the momentum shift as Hannibal-LaGrange came out firing, taking its first lead at the 17:33 mark. While the navy and gold continued at a steady 43.3% shooting, the Trojans surged, hitting 66.7% from the field and forcing the game into a tight contest. H-LG managed to pull ahead in the waning seconds, but the visitors had one final chance.

Jacore Williams (Jr., Little Rock, Ark.) was fouled on his game-winning shot attempt with 1.1 seconds left.  Unfortunately, he was hurt on the play and Malique Oates (Sr., Huntsville, Ala., Sports Management) was chosen (by the Trojans) to take the free throws.  The senior knocked down the first, but missed the second and the teams headed to overtime tied at 83-83.

The Statesmen dominated the extra period, shooting 71.4% from the field and starting overtime with 12 unanswered points.  They eventually outscored Hannibal-LaGrange 14-2 in OT.

The visiting squad showed a commanding presence in its rebounding effort, particularly on the offensive end with a 14-6 mark, translating into 19 second-chance points. William Penn also committed just 11 turnovers, compared to 16 for the Trojans, which WPU turned into 22 points. The Statesmen also controlled the paint, outscoring the hosts 42-28.

The aggressive Statesmen were also able to get to the free-throw line 30 times, making 21 of those attempts.  Conversely, the home team was just 8-for-12 at the charity stripe.

Manny Hammonds (So., Des Moines, Iowa, New Media) led all Statesmen scorers with 23 points on 9-for-15 shooting, while Jamir Reed (Jr., Philadelphia, Pa., Criminology) added 22 points, seven rebounds, and three steals. 

The Statesmen bench was key, contributing 39 points. LeQuan Washington (Jr., Chicago, Ill.) chipped in 14 points, while Jacore Williams (Jr., Little Rock, Ark.) and Jones III added 10 each.  Williams also pulled down eight boards and Jones III dished out three assists.

"Everyone stepped up tonight for a solid road win," said Head Coach John Henry. "Manny, Jamir, and LeQuan each had moments where they carried us offensively.  Our scout team did a great job preparing us for tonight as well."

Up Next: The Statesmen return home to face Mount Mercy at Penn Gymnasium next Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.