Pride outlasted by William Penn in 101-92 loss

DUBUQUE, Iowa - In what's typically been a highly contested matchup on the hardwood, the Clarke University men's basketball team fell short in a 101-92 defeat to William Penn University in the Kehl Center on Wednesday night.

After falling behind by 10 early and calling a timeout with the road team up 19-9, the Pride would come roaring back to tie the game at 22-22, then eventually lead 29-22 behind a 20-3 run as CU would only end up trailing by one on a few separate occasions before hitting the halftime locker room up a point at 46-45.

Clarke scored 46 points again in the second half but the Statesmen improved in their offensive efficiency to score 56 in the final 20 minutes on 21-of-39 (53.8%) shooting from the field and decreasing their turnovers from 10 in the first half to just three in the second half with the first run to pull WPU ahead taking a 66-65 lead to 78-67 in about a three minute stretch.

There was no quit in the home team, however, as a surge capped off by a Carson Lindauer corner three right in front of his own bench made it an 86-81 William Penn lead, but those five points and another deficit of 88-83 would be as close as the home team came, with the Statesmen able to finish off the game and maintain a multi-possession lead all the way to the final buzzer.

Both teams had six or more players score in double figures with William Penn's Alif Bass scoring a game-high 25 points, 13 of those coming from the free throw line, while Malik Larane added 21 points off the bench, Foday Sheriff posting a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double, Daivion Boleware and Yonis Mohamud both adding 12, and Chase Page scoring 11 points.

The Pride's seven players in double figures was led by a career-high 19 points from Ivan Vukusic who scored his 19 in just 18 minutes on the floor, dealing with foul trouble most of the night and fouling out in the second half, while Desmond Jones scored 15 points, Jonovan Howard and Joe Brown both posted 11, and the trio of Lindauer, Lovre Stanovic, and Devon Junghans each adding 10 points with senior guard Nick Bryant stuffing the statsheet with five points, seven rebounds, five assists, and four steals.

Clarke men's basketball will host their Senior Day game on Saturday, Feb. 14 at the Kehl Center when they welcome Peru State College to Dubuque for a 2:00 p.m. CT scheduled opening tip, following the Senior Day ceremony to take place between the women's and men's games.