Statesmen Surge Past Rockford to Open Season with Commanding Win

Oskaloosa--The William Penn men's basketball team opened the 2025–26 campaign on a high note, cruising to an 80–59 victory over Rockford (Ill.) in non-conference action Wednesday night.

The Statesmen (1–0) battled through a back-and-forth opening stretch before the Regents (0–1) jumped ahead 13–8 midway through the first half. William Penn quickly responded with eight unanswered points to reclaim the lead at 16–13. The two sides traded buckets until the navy and gold strung together an 11–4 run, but Rockford rallied late to tie the game at 31–31 heading into halftime.

Cold shooting plagued the Statesmen early, as they went just 1-for-13 from beyond the arc and 29.3% overall in the first half. Malik Larane (Jr., Palmdale, Calif., Sports Management) and Foday Sheriff (Jr., Upper Darby, Pa., Business Management) kept the offense afloat with eight points apiece, while Daivion Boleware (Jr., Jackson, Mich., Psychology) added seven. Larane also dominated the glass with 10 rebounds by intermission.

The second half began with another tight exchange, featuring nine lead changes before the Statesmen took control for good at 43–42 with 16:09 remaining. From there, William Penn erupted for a 13–3 run, extending its advantage to double digits. Rockford trimmed the deficit to 60–54, but the Statesmen closed the door with a decisive 20–5 surge to seal the 21-point win.

Sheriff paced William Penn with a game-high 19 points, followed by Boleware with 15 and Donovan Rodriguez (Jr., Philadelphia, Pa., Sports Management) with 10.

Larane anchored the defense, finishing with 13 rebounds (10 defensive), while Sheriff added seven boards of his own. Alif Bass (Jr., Newark, N.J., Sports Management) and Booka Sidibe (Jr., Milwaukee, Wis., Physical Education) dished out five assists apiece.

After struggling in the first half, the Statesmen rebounded to shoot 41.4% from the field, improving to 32% from deep. Rockford shot 32.7% overall and narrowly edged WPU from long range at 34.5%. Both teams found limited success at the free-throw line, with William Penn converting 66.7% to Rockford's 65%.

The Statesmen's depth and tempo proved decisive. WPU outscored the Regents 30–11 in bench points and held a 15–0 advantage in fast-break scoring. On the boards, the Statesmen earned a 44–39 edge and turned 13 offensive rebounds into seven second-chance points. Their defensive pressure also paid off, forcing 21 turnovers while committing just 11, translating into a dominant 21–4 margin in points off turnovers.

Sheriff credited the team's chemistry and crowd support as key motivators in the win.

"It was a lot of fun; I appreciate everyone who came out to support us," Sheriff said. "Every day is a learning experience, and I appreciate my teammates for trusting me with the ball."

Larane echoed the excitement and emphasized the team's growing connection on the court.

"It was a great atmosphere, seeing all of the students come out and support," Larane said. "We're still learning and getting our system down, but trusting one another is the main thing."

"All wins are good wins; however, we've got a long way to go to get where we'd like to be as a team," said Head Coach John Henry. "I do believe the journey with this team will be fun as heck."

Up Next: William Penn heads to the Governors State Classic, where they'll face East-West University Friday at 5:00 p.m. in University Park, Ill.