Three WPU Cagers Receive All-America Awards

Posted on March 23, 2018March 23, 2018 by Rick Watts

(OSKALOOSA, Iowa) – A record-breaking three members of the Statesmen men’s basketball program capped strong seasons as the NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball All-America teams were recently announced.

Terrell Thompson (Sr., Indianapolis, Ind., Wellness and Recreation) was named to the First Team, while Dominique Shaw (Sr., Lufkin, Texas, Wellness and Recreation) earned Third-Team recognition. JC Washington (Sr., Houston, Texas, Sociology) joined his teammates by receiving an Honorable-Mention nod. A total of 82 players collected A-A awards with 10 each on the top three teams and 52 on the honorable-mention squad.

Ryan Imhoff of Carroll (Mont.) was named the NABC-NAIA National Player of the Year, while The Master’s (Calif.) Head Coach Kelvin Starr earned NABC-NAIA Coach of the Year honors.

Thompson and Shaw were both first-team all-Heart of America Athletic Conference performers, while Washington was a second-team honoree. The trio gives William Penn 22 All-Americans all-time and 19 under current coach John Henry. They guided WPU to a 30-5 record, a Heart regular-season title, and a national semifinal appearance.

Thompson, who is the third First-Team recipient in the past six years (second year in a row), averaged 17.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game. He also tallied 38 steals, eight blocks, and shot 50.6% from the field (34.6% 3-PT); the senior was 69.7% from the free-throw line.

The senior led all of NAIA Division I in assists with 197, and was fourth in assists per game and 18th in total points (605). He put himself on several of William Penn’s top-10 single-season lists, including now being fifth in both assists and assist average, sixth in free throws attempted (188), and eighth in total points.

Shaw was the Statesmen’s top scorer throughout the year, averaging 18.5 points in addition to 6.5 rebounds. He also produced 74 assists, a team-high 42 steals, and four blocks. The senior shot 47.1% overall (34.9% 3-PT) and 70.2 from the charity stripe.

Shaw’s 649 points now rank fourth all-time in WPU single-season history. He is also third at William Penn with both 247 field goals made and 524 field goals attempted, while also being fourth with 255 three-pointers attempted and seventh with 89 three-pointers made.

The senior finished the campaign 12th in the NAIA in points and 17th in three-pointers made.

The Heart’s Defensive Player of the Year, Washington averaged a near double-double with 11.6 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. He also had 84 assists, a team-high 61 blocks, and 22 steals, while shooting 56.5% from the field (33.3% 3-PT) and 50.0% from the line.

Washington is now fourth all-time at WPU in single-season blocks and is seventh with 313 rebounds.

The senior was in the top-20 nationally in numerous categories, including being third in offensive rebounds per game (3.5), fifth in total rebounds, sixth in both total blocks and blocks per game (1.9), ninth in rebounds per game, and 14th in defensive rebounds per game (6.3).

For the complete list of NAIA Division I All-Americans, click here.

Strong Bench Keys LSU Alexandria’s Semifinal Victory Over WPU

Posted on March 20, 2018 by Rick Watts

Story By Chad Waller | NAIA National Office

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – (Box Score) Powered by a game-ending 29-19 run, No. 4 seeded LSU Alexandria (La.) eliminated No. 1 William Penn (Iowa), 84-75, in the second semifinal of the 81st Annual NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship, Monday evening inside Municipal Auditorium. The Generals face tournament newcomer No. 5-seeded Graceland (Iowa) in the national championship title contest on Tuesday, March 20 at 7:00 p.m. CDT, broadcast live on ESPN3.

NOTES

LSU Alexandria improves to 29-7 and heads to its first-ever title contest on Tuesday
The Generals are playing in their fourth season of varsity competition
William Penn ends its season with a record of 30-5
This marks the first year since 1961 that a team from Louisiana played in the title game (Grambling)
The higher seeds are 15-15 through 30 games, while 24 games have been decided by 10 points or fewer including 14 by six points or less

William Penn Women Stay Hot, Men Stumble

Posted on February 5, 2018February 5, 2018 by Rick Watts

(Oskaloosa, Iowa) — With one of its top scorers unavailable, the William Penn women’s basketball team was in need of someone to step up, and more than just one person answered the call as the Statesmen dropped Graceland 68-37 in Heart of America Athletic Conference action Saturday.

The Statesmen (17-5, 11-2 Heart) have now won a season-high four games in a row for the third time this year. The win helps WPU keep pace with MidAmerica Nazarene and Central Methodist for the league lead.

Sarah Hansen (Sr., Kewanee, Ill., Psychology and Human Services) was out of town for military duty, leaving a sizeable gap to be filled. Fortunately, the hosts once again played tremendous defense and the points came in a variety of ways, most notably from Kate Ylitalo (So., Maple Plain, Minn., Biology) and Vashti Nwagbaraocha (Jr., Milwaukee, Wis., Exercise Science).

All cylinders fired in the opening quarter as William Penn scored 12 of the first 14 points and eventually led 20-5 after one period of action.

The second quarter, for whatever reason, has been a major thorn in the team’s side and it was again on Saturday. The Yellowjackets (5-16, 2-11 Heart) roared back, trimming the margin to eight at 31-23 by halftime.

The third stanza, on the other hand, has been quite kind to the navy and gold, and Saturday was much of the same. The Statesmen recorded the first 11 points of the quarter and blew the contest wide open with a 23-6 edge during that 10-minute span.

WPU cruised from there to complete the season sweep of GU, outshooting the visitors 44.6%-28.2% and outrebounding them 41-26.

While those numbers are impressive, the matchup was really won in turnovers with William Penn forcing 28 Graceland mistakes (18 for the home team). The Statesmen converted those errors into a 37-10 advantage in points off turnovers.

With 11 more offensive rebounds (20-9), the Statesmen also owned a 15-6 edge in second-chance points.

Ylitalo paced the victors with 20 points, including three three-pointers. Nwagbaraocha was right behind her with 19 points; the junior was 6-for-9 from the field and 7-for-8 from the line. Both players excelled on the defensive end as well as Ylitalo recorded six steals and Nwagbaraocha posted four steals and two blocks.

Sham Troupe (Jr., St. Louis, Mo.) contributed eight points along with a squad-best nine rebounds. JeAnn Hiraldo (Sr., Frisco, Texas, Industrial Technology) swished a pair of three-pointers as part of a seven-point effort, while Brynesha Mosby (Jr., Belleville, Ill., Biology) matched her with seven points off the bench as well.

Jenna Santi (Jr., Oak Creek, Wis., Elementary Education) only tallied two points, but coordinated the offense extremely well with eight assists.

The Statesmen overcame a 54.5% clip at the line, while GU made 76.5% of its free throws.

“I am very pleased with our defensive effort and the determination we played with,” Head Coach Steve Williamson said. “We had a balanced offensive effort and players stepped up with Sarah not in the lineup.”

Next Up: William Penn remains in Oskaloosa next Wednesday to host Peru State in Heart action at 5:30 p.m.

Streaks Snapped in Loss to Graceland

Oskaloosa– It had been a very long time since the Statesmen men’s basketball team had lost at home, but unfortunately all good things must come to an end and they did Saturday in a 91-77 Heart of America Athletic Conference setback to Graceland.

#1 WPU (21-2, 11-2 Heart) had won 37 consecutive home games, dating back to January 9, 2016–a span of 756 days (2 years, 25 days). The streak is believed to have been the longest current home one in the NAIA entering Saturday. The navy and gold also witnessed their 10-game overall winning streak also come to a close.

The hosts now lead the trio of Graceland, Peru State, and Central Methodist by just one game in the league.

Ten days earlier in Penn Gymnasium, the Statesmen broke a school record for most points in a conference game, but it was evident early that that performance was not going to be replicated. The Yellowjackets (16-8, 10-3 Heart) refused to participate in a high-scoring affair. They wanted to slow everything down, in fact, not starting most of their possessions until more than half of the shot clock had transpired.

It worked in the beginning minutes with the visitors leading 18-13 at the halfway point of the first stanza. In its last home contest, William Penn had already scored 35 points at the midway juncture. The home squad did warm up and eventually went into the break ahead 35-29.

WPU was being outshot 43.3%-38.9%, but was taking care of business in other ways to stay on top. The Statesmen managed to be in the ‘black’ on Black Out Night, just barely keeping the Yellowjackets at bay.

Graceland, though, could not be slowed down after halftime and took the lead for good at 64-61. The game was tied one final time at 66-66 with 6:48 to go, but the visitors, who shot 70.0% in the latter half, were too much. When the final horn sounded and William Penn’s two massive streaks were extinguished, the navy and gold were outshot 56.7%-42.6%.

WPU also came up short in rebounding at 38-37; GU had only nine offensive rebounds (WPU had 16), but held a 17-8 mark in second-chance points. The hosts also struggled at the line with a 50.0% clip, while the Yellowjackets finished at 71.4%.

“Graceland out-played, out-worked, and out-coached us tonight,” Head Coach John Henry said. “Losing at home is not something that happens to us very often. Graceland beat us today and deserves a tip of the cap.”

Dominique Shaw (Sr., Lufkin, Texas, Wellness and Recreation) got in early foul trouble, but worked past that to have a great offensive outing with a game-high 28 points. The senior made six three-pointers, but WPU shot just 31.0% from deep as a team.

D’Angelo Allen (Jr., Dallas, Texas, Wellness and Recreation) added 12 points off the bench, while Aakim Saintil (Sr., West Orange, N.J., Business Management) also reached double figures with 10 points.

Corbin Medley (Sr., Rogersville, Mo., General Accounting) knocked down a trio of trifectas for nine points, while JC Washington (Sr., Houston, Texas, Sociology) contributed six points. Washington and Allen both pulled down eight rebounds; Washington had two blocks as well. Saintil and Terrell Thompson (Sr., Indianapolis, Ind., Wellness and Recreation) assisted six times each Saturday.

Next Up: William Penn remains in Oskaloosa next Wednesday to host Peru State in Heart action at 7:30 p.m.

WPU Women’s Basketball Throttles Graceland

Posted on January 9, 2018January 9, 2018 by Rick Watts

Lamoni–A strong defensive effort headlined the William Penn women’s basketball team’s 77-42 victory over Graceland in Heart of America Athletic Conference play Saturday.

WPU (10-4, 4-1 Heart), which is off to its best 14-game start since 2010-2011 (also 10-4), limited the Yellowjackets (4-9, 1-4 Heart) to just 24.5% from the field.

The visitors scored the first 11 points of the afternoon and were off to the races from there. The squad led 23-9 after the opening period and pushed that edge to 24 (41-17) at intermission.

William Penn, which shot 42.2% (37.5% 3-PT), grew its advantage to a game-high 37 points in the third quarter.

A nice chunk of the victors’ offense was produced via its defense as the navy and gold forced 23 turnovers (14 steals), leading to a 30-6 margin in points off turnovers. Both Kate Ylitalo (So., Maple Plain, Minn., Biology) and Sarah Hansen (Sr., Kewanee, Ill., Psychology and Human Services) tallied four thefts Saturday.

Ylitalo was her team’s top scorer with 17 points, including four three-pointers, while Hansen made a trio of trifectas en route to a 15-point showing. Vashti Nwagbaraocha (Jr., Milwaukee, Wis., Exercise Science) joined her teammates in double figures with 12 points; the junior actually had a double-double by corraling 13 rebounds. WPU outrebounded GU 50-35.

Jenna Santi (Jr., Oak Creek, Wis., Elementary Education), who also assisted on seven baskets, matched Tyra Johnson (Jr., Calumet City, Ill., Undecided) with nine points. Johnson was perfect in the matchup, making all three of her field goals and all three of free throws. The Statesmen were 73.7% from the charity stripe.

“We had great effort today!” Head Coach Steve Williamson said. “Our ladies did great on both ends and played Statesmen basketball today!”

Next Up: William Penn returns to Oskaloosa next Wednesday to host Grand View in Heart play at 5:30 p.m.

This coverage was provided in a news release sent to KMZN by Wade Steinlage, William Penn University Sports Information Director.

Statesmen Knock Off Rust in Defeat of Benedictine

Posted on January 4, 2018January 4, 2018 by Rick Watts

Oskaloosa–All five starters eclipsed double figures as the William Penn men’s basketball team started the second half of its season on a high note with a 109-91 Heart of America Athletic Conference victory over Benedictine Wednesday.

#3 WPU (13-1, 3-1 Heart) was outshot 49.3%-48.7%, but those numbers are deceiving as Wednesday’s matchup–the first for the team since December 9–was never really in question.

Tied with BC (9-6, 3-1 Heart) at 11-11 just three minutes into the evening, the navy and gold pulled away with 11 unanswered points. The streak was part of a 16-2 run and the victors stayed up by double digits the rest of the night.
William Penn owned a 54-36 halftime edge and extended the margin to a game-high 30 points at 86-56 with 11:27 still on the clock. The Ravens made the final score more reasonable, but could not slow down the Statesmen who scored a plethora of baskets in transition.

The home squad sunk 12 three-pointers and also hit 75.0% of its free throws, but equally impressive was the fact that the team committed only nine turnovers. Benedictine was forced into 14 mistakes, which led to a 15-8 mark in points off turnovers.

WPU also controlled the glass with a 49-39 rebounding edge, which landed the winners a 23-12 edge in second-chance points.

Aakim Saintil (Sr., West Orange, N.J., Business Management), who had played sparingly in only a pair of games before the holiday break, enjoyed a big first start at home with 16 points. The senior connected on a game-best four three-pointers; he also assisted on six buckets.

“I am very happy to have Aakim back on the court,” Head Coach John Henry said. “He helps a lot with speed and shooting.”

Dominique Shaw (Sr., Lufkin, Texas, Wellness and Recreation) topped all participants with a double-double of 23 points (10-for-14 FG) and 10 rebounds. Terrell Thompson (Sr., Indianapolis, Ind., Wellness and Recreation) joined him above 20 points with 21 of his own, while dishing out seven assists as well.

Jovontae Carleton (Jr., El Cerrito, Calif., Sociology) was good for 19 points, while Mikeal Donaldson (Sr., Columbia, S.C.) also managed 14 points. Corbin Medley (Sr., Rogersville, Mo., General Accounting) just missed double figures with nine points.

“Saturday’s game at Graceland is going to be huge,” Henry said. “It will be a great challenge for us.”

Next Up: William Penn travels to Lamoni Saturday to face Graceland in Heart action at 4 p.m.

Oskaloosa Boys Draw #2 Seed, Two Home Games in District Play

Posted on February 10, 2017February 10, 2017 by [email protected]

The Oskaloosa Indians boys’ basketball team is having a renaissance year under third year head coach Ryan Parker and the team has been rewarded as a host site for the first two rounds of district play.

The Indians will play Washington in the first round of Class 3A District 12 in a rematch of a game earlier this year that saw Osky put up a 90-55 road win. That game will be the nightcap of a doubleheader, following Knoxville playing Fairfield in at 6:30 PM on Monday, February 20^th in the OHS Gymnasium.

If Osky wins, they’ll play on their home floor again against either Knoxville or Fairfield on February 23^rdat 7 PM. Osky beat Knoxville and Fairfield during the first week of the season at home. The Indians beat Fairfield to open the season, 84-41, and Knoxville four nights later, 63-59.

If all goes well, Oskaloosa could find themselves in the Substate 6 Final in Class 3A, which will be played in Fairfield (unless the Trojans make it, in which case the game would be moved). Mount Pleasant would be the top seed in District 11, as they get two home games and sit at 17-2 on the year.

You can catch all Oskaloosa postseason action live on 99.5 FM/740 AM KMZN, radiokmzn.com, and the KMZN mobile app.

Pella Christian Falls in Semis, Will Play in Consolation Game

Posted on March 10, 2016 by [email protected]

The most efficient defense in the state of Iowa in Class 2A showed exactly why they earned that mark Thursday afternoon.

Cascade of Western Dubuque, the #4 seed in the tournament, took full advantage of an undersized Pella Christian front line and closed the three point line to get a 51-36 win.

#8 seed Pella Christian battled gamely during the first half, as the lead exchanged hands 8 different times. But PC’s patient offensive attack was unable to get consistent looks inside the arc and the shots from downtown were contested regularly by the long and active Cougar defense.

The Eagles’ defense did the job they needed to, limiting the chances Cascade had inside. But their inability to score with any consistency on the offensive end led to their demise.

Levi Jungling, PC’s best scorer at over 20 points per game, was held to just 5 points on 2 of 9 shooting. Mitch Fopma led the Eagles with 13.

Pella Christian will play Anamosa in the 3rd Place Consolation Game at 11:45 AM on Friday morning. Cascade will face Western Christian for the Class 2A State Championship Friday night at 8 PM.

You can hear reports from that game on 104.9 FM KBOE and 99.5 FM/740 AM KMZN.

Montezuma Tops Keota to Advance to Substate Final

Posted on February 26, 2016February 26, 2016 by [email protected]

The Montezuma Braves and Keota Eagles met in Wellman Thursday night for a highly anticipated rematch from their back-and-forth affair in January. The result was Montezuma duplicating their hard-fought win, relying on an explosive first half and tight defense for the 56-45 victory and the Class 1A District 11 Title.

The first quarter saw both defenses have their way, forcing several turnovers with sporadic shooting. Both teams had slight spurts towards the end of the quarter, but Monte had a 12-9 lead heading into the second.

That’s when Montezuma junior Dakota Strong caught fire, scoring the majority of his 19 first half points by lighting it up from behind the arc. The Braves’ defense continued to force several Keota mistakes, as Brody McKeag had five first half steals, a few of which led to easy buckets at the other end. Monte would close the half strong to take a 35-22 lead at the break.

The third quarter was intriguing, as Monte lost their shooting touch. Their defense, however, refused to let the Eagles climb back into the game. Keota’s biggest momentum switch came with about 1:30 to go in the third. Keota junior Cole Stout buried a three-pointer and drew a foul, completing a four-point play. Keota would ride that wave to cut the lead from 16 to 9 in a short period. But with 25 seconds to go, McKeag would get a steal and a layup on the other end, and after a quick Keota shot, Brave junior Carson Losure would make a layup at the buzzer to extend the lead to 13 after three.

The fourth quarter saw poor shooting by both sides, and Montezuma made free throws down the stretch to seal the 11 point victory.

The Braves were led by Strong who finished with 23 points. Brody McKeag had a very complete game, scoring 10 points, dishing out 7 assists, and snagging 7 steals. Logan Price had 10 points and 6 rebounds despite dealing with foul trouble in the first half. Carson Losure and Zach Townsend had 6. Townsend added a team-high 7 rebounds.

Keota had a good game from senior Zach Mousel, who had 16 points and three steals. Avery Conrad had a double-double with 12 points and 10 boards. Jacob Wickenkamp, who came in as the Eagles’ second leading scorer behind Mousel on the season, did not register a single point and only took a few shots in the game, but he did grab 9 rebounds and had a team-high four assists.

Keota’s season comes to an end at 17-7. The loss ends the high school careers of seniors Nate Sieren, Tyler Verstraete, Paden Uphold, Zach Mousel, Isaiah Hahn, and Dylan Burgdorf.

Montezuma is now 22-2 and will play for a trip to state on Saturday in Knoxville. Their opponent will be Grand View Christian, who is 24-1. GVC averages over 80 points per game, but only scored 58 in their four-point win over Colo-Nesco in the District 12 Final.

The game can be heard on 99.5 FM/740 AM KMZN, as well as the KMZN mobile app, and radiokmzn.com. The pregame will start at 6:45 for the 7 PM tip-off.

Eagles Soar as Keota Moves to District Title Game

Posted on February 24, 2016 by [email protected]

Tuesday night was a busy one in boys’ area basketball, as district play heated up with several schools in action.

On the Mahaska Zone Network (99.5 FM/740 AM KMZN and radiokmzn.com), you heard a doubleheader of Class 1A District 11 Semifinals.

In the first game, a natural rivalry between Keokuk County schools Keota and Sigourney was as competitive as you’d imagine, but the Eagles came out on top, 61-53.

Keota did not generate much scoring from their backcourt leaders, Zach Mousel and Jacob Wickenkamp. On the season, the duo averages around 25 points per contest combined, but on Tuesday, the Savages held them to a combined 14.

It was no matter for Keota, as Isaiah Hahn filled the gap, pouring in 16 points and snagging 4 rebounds to lead the way. Avery Conrad got several looks late, exploiting the foul trouble from the Sigourney bigs, finishing with 14 points and 8 boards.

For Sigourney, they had a hot shooting first quarter, but could never wrestle the lead away from the Eagles. Blaine Gretter had an up-and-down night for the Savages, but still finished with a team-high 13 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 assists. Jordan Albert added 12, Alex Stuhr chipped in 11, and Peyton Crawford dropped in 9.

Sigourney’s season comes to a close at 11-12 after their third loss this season to their rivals. The loss ends the high school careers of seniors Peyton Crawford, Austin Smothers, Jordan Albert, Blaine Gretter, Connor Witzenberg, Denny Haines, Matthew Utterback, and Alex Stuhr.

Keota (17-6) now advances to the District 11 Final on Thursday, where they will face Montezuma (21-2) at Mid-Prairie High School in Wellman.

You can hear that game on 99.5 FM/740 AM KMZN, as well as on the KMZN mobile app, and radiokmzn.com. The pregame show will begin at 6:45 for the 7 PM tip-off.

Montezuma Boys Defeat Wayne, Advance to District Final

Posted on February 24, 2016 by [email protected]

Tournament time is in full swing in the area, and in boys’ basketball in Class 1A, Montezuma continued to show their dominance in District 11.

The Braves mopped the floor with Wayne in the District 11 Semifinals at their home gym Tuesday night, beating the Falcons, 61-37.

It was a sluggish start for the Braves, but they heated up toward the end of the first quarter to take a five-point lead into the second stanza. That is where the separation began, as the dynamic duo of Brody McKeag and Dakota Strong continued to get open looks and got to the rim at will. In the second quarter alone, Monte would outscore Wayne by 11 points, and they would coast to the finish from there.

Logan Price ended up having the best game for the Braves, scoring a team-high 17 points and bringing down 7 boards. McKeag wouldn’t have his best shooting night, but still managed to get 15 points to go along with 4 rebounds and 4 assists. Strong had 12, all in the first half, but he made a big difference on the defensive end, as he gathered 5 steals.

Wayne was led by senior Trent Moore, who had a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. The Falcons end their season at 11-13.

Montezuma now looks ahead to a rematch with Keota in the District 11 Final. The two clubs played a thrilling game back on January 12^th in Montezuma, with the Braves coming out victorious, 63-57.

That game will be in Wellman at Mid-Prairie High School. The victor will be just one win away from qualifying for the 2016 Boys’ Basketball State Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

You can hear the action Thursday night on 99.5 FM/740 AM KMZN, the KMZN mobile app, and radiokmzn.com, starting at 6:45 PM with the pregame show. The tip-off will be at 7 PM.

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Streaks Snapped in Loss to Graceland

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