Jan. 29, 2008

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OSKALOOSA, Iowa - Brett Humpal scored 25 points and went over the 1,000-point mark for his career, and Iowa Wesleyan College stunned the fifth ranked team in the nation, defeating William Penn (Iowa) University 79-71 Monday night (Jan. 28).

The Tigers rebounded from a loss at the buzzer to Clarke College two days earlier by outscoring the Statesmen 47-36 in the second half to snap the Statesmen's 12-game winning streak. IWC also ended Penn's 18-game homecourt winning streak and moved into a tie for third in the Midwest Collegiate Conference, snapping its own three-game losing streak to improve to 5-4 in the MCC and 9-12 overall.

Humpal became the 28th player in Iowa Wesleyan history to score over 1,000 points, finishing the game with 1,004 career points, 24th on the all-time IWC list. Against William Penn he led the Tigers in scoring and also grabbed 12 rebounds. He scored 16 of his 25 points in the decisive second half and also made 12 of 12 free throws.

IWC also got 33 points off its bench, including 17 points from Jason Garber (Jr.-Emden, Ill.) and 10 more from Hasan Powell (Fr.-Bridgeport, Conn.), and the Tigers shot 50% in the second half (14 of 28) while holding the Statesmen to 31.4% shooting (11 of 35) in the final 20 minutes.

After hanging close in the first half, IWC took control of the game in the second half, and then answered a late run by the Statesmen with several clutch baskets in the game's final minutes. The Tigers trailed for almost the entire first half, falling back by as many as seven points before closing within 35-32 at halftime. Despite making just 10 of 33 shots in the first half (30.3%) IWC stayed in contact by making seven of eight free throws.

IWC started to make its move early in the second half, taking its first lead since the early minutes when Humpal made a three-pointer to make it 46-44 with 15:04 to play. The Tigers would never trail again, and built the lead up to nine on four occasions, the last one after Humpal made two free throws to make it 62-53 with 7:33 left.

The Statesmen (20-3 overall, 8-1 MCC) quickly rallied with four three-pointers in a 13-4 spurt, the last one by Adam Weig tying the score at 66 all with 4:18 left. IWC came right back on its next possession, though, with Humpal hitting a long three-pointer to give the Tigers the lead back with 3:58 in the game. Wesleyan outscored the Statesmen 13-5 the rest of the way and after Weig's three to tie did not allow another field goal the rest of the game.

Brad Leverston (Jr.-Chicago, Ill.) came off the bench to add six points and nine rebounds, while Humpal added to his MCC lead in steals with six. Garber and Humpal also shared the team lead with four assists each, and the Tigers had 17 assists on their 24 baskets.

IWC shot 39.3% for the game and made nine three-pointers in 26 attempts (34.6%). The Tigers also made 22 of 29 free throws (75.9%), including 21 of its first 23 before missing five of six in the game's final seconds. IWC also out-rebounded Penn 44-40 and held the Statesmen to 38.2% shooting (26-for-68). Joseph Powell led William Penn with 20 points.

The win avenges an 84-69 loss to William Penn earlier this season at IWC's Ruble Arena. It also came just two days after the Tigers hit 13 three-pointers but lost when Clarke College overcome an 11-point deficit in the final six minutes and scored the winning basket with :00.4 left for a 67-65 win.

IWC returns home to Ruble Arena for its next game, a meeting with Mount Mercy College Thursday at 7:30 pm. The Tigers defeated the Mustangs 59-58 in their first meeting back on Dec. 2. The game also will be broadcast in the Mount Pleasant area on KILJ Radio, FM 105.5.