Statesmen Fall to Baker in Final Game of 2024-2025 Season

Baldwin City, Kan.--The William Penn men's basketball team struggled to generate enough firepower in a 78-68 loss to Baker on Saturday, closing out their 2024-2025 Heart of America Athletic Conference campaign.

With the loss, the Statesmen finish the season at 11-17 overall and 8-16 in conference play, failing to advance to postseason action.

The game began with both teams exchanging points, as Baker (25-3, 22-2 Heart) held a slim edge over William Penn (11-17, 8-16 Heart) in the first quarter. With the score tied at 20-20, the Statesmen sparked a brief 11-1 run to take a 31-21 lead. However, Baker responded and tied the game at 33-33 before the half. Despite the momentum shift, the Statesmen fought back to lead 46-43 at the break.

LeQuan Washington (Jr., Chicago, Ill.) and Justin Bradley (Jr., Okinawa, Japan) led the way with 12 points each at halftime.

The second half was a back-and-forth affair, but with 10:29 left, Baker seized control with a 13-3 run, extending their lead to 71-60. Despite a valiant effort, the undermanned Statesmen couldn't recover, eventually falling by ten points.

Washington finished with 17 points, while Dee Merriweather (Sr., Memphis, Tenn.) contributed 13 points. Bradley's 12 points all came in the first half.

The Statesmen's shooting struggles were evident, hitting just 37.1% from the field, while Baker shot 46.7%. From beyond the arc, William Penn struggled further, connecting on only 22.7% of their attempts, compared to 34.8% for Baker. At the free-throw line, the Statesmen shot a solid 73.9%, while Baker converted 66.7%.

On the glass, Baker edged out William Penn 39-37, and both teams were evenly matched in second-chance points. Baker converted 11 offensive rebounds into 15 points, while the Statesmen converted 13 offensive boards into 13 points. The Statesmen capitalized on turnovers, forcing 16 Baker mistakes, but were unable to make up the difference, scoring just 13 points off turnovers while the Wildcats scored 18.

"Missing a few guys today really hurt our chances," said Head Coach John Henry. "But the guys who did travel really battled and played hard."