William Penn Falls to Rochester Christian at Fiserv Forum

Milwaukee, Wis.--The William Penn men's basketball team came up short on the big stage Thursday, falling 109–84 to Rochester Christian in the Milwaukee Bucks Prep Series at Fiserv Forum.

The Statesmen (9–4) stepped away from conference play for the neutral-site matchup but were quickly challenged by a sharp-shooting Warriors squad (9–3). William Penn remained within striking distance early, trailing just 14–7, before Rochester Christian rattled off 12 unanswered points to seize control.

A flurry of three-pointers helped the Statesmen claw back to a 33–25 deficit, but momentum remained with RCU. With just over five minutes left in the opening half, the Warriors used a decisive 19–9 run to carry a 61–42 advantage into halftime.

William Penn shot efficiently in the first half, connecting on 47.2% from the field and 46.2% from beyond the arc, but struggled to generate enough opportunities. Rochester Christian countered with a blistering 57.1% shooting clip overall and 63.6% from three. Daivion Boleware (Jr., Jackson, Mich., Psychology) paced the Statesmen with 14 first-half points, while Chase Page (Sr., Melbourne, Australia, Business Management) added 11.

The teams traded baskets to open the second half, and at the 13:24 mark, William Penn made a push with seven straight points to trim the margin to 82–64. Rochester Christian responded immediately, however, unleashing a 20–10 run to put the game firmly out of reach. Despite continued effort, the Navy and Gold were unable to mount another sustained rally.

The Statesmen struggled from long range in the second half, shooting just 16.7% from deep. Defensively, William Penn limited RCU to only two three-pointers after halftime, but the damage done in the first half proved too much to overcome.

William Penn finished the contest shooting 47.1% from the field and 32.0% from three, while Rochester Christian ended the night at 60.0% shooting overall and from beyond the arc.

Page led the Statesmen with 21 points off the bench, while Boleware followed with 18. Javion Belle-McCrary (Sr., Reform, Ala., Sports Management) and Malik Larane (Jr., Palmdale, Calif., Sports Management) each chipped in 11 points. Page also tallied five blocks, and Foday Sheriff (Jr., Upper Darby, Pa., Business Management) contributed five rebounds and three steals.

Rochester Christian controlled the glass, holding a 41–26 rebounding advantage, including an 11–8 edge on the offensive boards that resulted in a 15–6 margin in second-chance points.

William Penn committed just nine turnovers but allowed RCU to convert those mistakes into 19 points. The Statesmen forced 14 Warrior turnovers but were only able to turn them into 14 points of their own. Fast-break scoring slightly favored Rochester Christian, 17–14.

Despite being shorthanded—with four players unavailable due to injury and coaching decisions—William Penn's bench remained competitive, trailing just 39–34.

"Ton of respect for Rochester Christian," said Head Coach John Henry. "They showed us the blueprint tonight. They were physical, in better shape than us, and quite honestly, they had a lot more grit. It's tough to beat a team like that with a depleted roster."

He added, "I'm proud that we didn't quit. It could've gotten much more embarrassing than it was. We will regroup during this break and be fine."

Up Next: William Penn will take a holiday break before returning to action on January 3, traveling to Peru, Neb., to face Peru State at 4:00 p.m. in Heart of America Athletic Conference play.