Strong Second Half Not Enough in Setback to Peru State

Oskaloosa--The Statesmen men's basketball team matched Peru State in second-half scoring, but early struggles proved too much to overcome in a 106-90 loss in Heart of America Athletic Conference action Saturday.

The Statesmen (9-13, 6-12 Heart) found themselves in an early hole as the Bobcats (18-5, 14-5 Heart) jumped out to a 14-5 lead. WPU responded with a surge, battling back to claim a brief 17-14 advantage. The teams traded baskets before each squad went on a run. The Statesmen put together six unanswered points, but Peru State closed the half with a decisive 23-5 stretch to take a 52-36 lead into the break.

Malique Oates (Jr., Huntsville, Ala., Sports Management) led WPU with 10 first-half points, while Isaac Hoberecht (Jr., Carl Junction, Mo., Business Management) added seven.

The second half saw a back-and-forth battle early on, but the Bobcats seized control with an 11-0 run. Despite the Statesmen's efforts to chip away at the deficit, Peru State extended its advantage to 31 points with another 14-7 run. WPU kept fighting, outscoring PSC in the latter part of the half, gradually cutting the lead to 20. A late 14-6 surge helped narrow the gap further, but the early deficit was too much to overcome as the Bobcats secured the win.

Jacore Williams (Jr., Little Rock, Ark., Business Management) paced the Statesmen with 21 points and nine rebounds, while Oates followed with 17 points. Justin Bradley (Jr., Okinawa, Japan, Biology) contributed 12 points, while both Roy Jones III (Sr., Pensacola, Fla., Psychology) and Manny Hammonds (So., Des Moines, Iowa, New Media) added 10 points each.

The Statesmen shot 42.5% from the field but struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 25.0% (7-for-28). Meanwhile, the Bobcats were lights out from deep, knocking down 17 three-pointers at a 44.7% clip. WPU found success at the free-throw line, converting 87.5% of its attempts, while Peru State shot 64.7%.

On the boards, Peru State held a narrow 37-36 advantage. However, the Statesmen capitalized on turnovers, turning PSC's 17 giveaways into 19 points while limiting their own mistakes to 13, which the Bobcats converted into 13 points.

"We'll get back to practice tomorrow, shake this one off, and focus on getting a win at Clarke," said Head Coach John Henry. 

Up Next: William Penn looks to bounce back Monday night when it travels to Dubuque to face Clarke in another Heart matchup at 7:30 p.m.