OLATHE — A competitive first half gave way to a tough second half for the William Penn men’s basketball team, as they fell 116-84 to MidAmerica Nazarene in Heart of America Athletic Conference action on Saturday.

The Pioneers (15-10, 14-7 Heart) came out strong, opening the game with a 15-3 run. However, the Statesmen (9-15, 6-14 Heart) responded with a 15-6 surge of their own, cutting the deficit to just three at 21-18. The two teams battled back and forth until WPU knotted the game at 38-38, but MNU managed to reclaim a slight edge, heading into the break with a 46-42 lead.

The second half told a different story, as MNU quickly took control with a 15-4 run. William Penn fought to stay in contention, but the Pioneers broke the game open at 71-61, reeling off a dominant 35-7 scoring stretch. WPU showed some late fight with a 16-10 run, but the deficit was too great to overcome.

Roy Jones III (Sr., Pensacola, Fla., Psychology) led the Statesmen with 25 points, while Justin Bradley (Jr., Okinawa, Japan, Biology) added 16. LeQuan Washington (Jr., Chicago, Ill.) finished with 15 points, and Manny Hammonds (So., Des Moines, Iowa, New Media) contributed 11.

Despite shooting efficiently—47.5% from the field, 42.9% from three-point range, and 78.6% from the free-throw line—William Penn struggled to match MNU’s offensive firepower. The Pioneers shot 55.1% (43-for-78) from the field, 50.0% from deep, and 85.0% from the charity stripe.

MNU’s dominance on the glass played a key role, outrebounding WPU 46-25, including a 17-6 edge in offensive boards. That advantage led to 24 second-chance points for the Pioneers, while the Statesmen managed just two. Turnovers also proved costly, as MNU turned 15 WPU miscues into 23 points, while the Statesmen managed only 14 points off 13 Pioneer turnovers.

“We were completely outmatched in the second half,” said Head Coach John Henry. “Hopefully, a three-game home stand can spark some life in us.”