Fayette, Mo. - The Central Methodist Men's Basketball team picked up its third consecutive win with a 97-74 victory over William Penn University Saturday afternoon inside Puckett Field House.

Central now stands at 10-7 and 7-6 in the Heart of America, while WPU drops to 8-6 and 5-5 in conference play.

CMU dropped 51 first half points to take a 19-point lead into the halftime break. Despite a closer second half, with Central outscoring William Penn, 46-42, the Eagles' big first half was enough to secure a 23-point win.  

CMU saw four players land in double figures including three in the starting five. 

Senior Mario Fantina had his best game of the season, leading Central with 22 points on eight-of-14 shooting from the floor. He knocked down six three-point baskets at a clip of 54.5 percent from long range. 

Sophomore Kevin James also produced his best game of 2024-25, scoring 20 points while shooting 66 percent from the floor. The native of Massillon, Ohio also added five rebounds and two assists to his stat line.  

Brandon Tchouya had a balanced scoring attack while also getting his teammates involved throughout the night. The junior registered 17 points, six assists, and three steals in the win. 

Destin Jenkins rounded out the double digit scorers with 11 points. 

Junior forward Thomas Sowoolu nearly recorded a double-double with eight points and a team-leading nine rebounds. Additionally, he dished out two assists and picked up a pair of steals in 17 minutes of action. 

As a team, Central shot nearly 58 percent from the field, which included 14 three point baskets. CMU also capitilized on opportunities from the charity stripe, knocking down 15-of-19 free throw attempts. 

Both teams were dead even on the boards, as each grabbed 38 rebounds. While WPU had solid shooting numbers, Central's long range game proved to be too much for the Statesmen to overcome. 

The Eagles head back out on the road to face MidAmerica Nazarene Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 7:30 p.m. in Olathe, Kan. 

#TakeFlight