ROCKLIN, Calif. – For the first time under head coach Emilie Blate, the William Jessup University women's basketball squad took the court Friday night as they played host to the UC Merced Bobcats. After a seesaw battle for the entirety of regulation, the Warriors took the final leap upwards as they were victorious 79-73 in overtime.
Jessup came out running to start the game, quickly going up 10-5 to spark some excitement in the crowd. The Warriors did a strong job maintaining their first quarter lead, keeping the advantage to at least four for the remainder of the quarter. In the closing seconds, senior Diana Corona (Porterville, CA) nailed a jumper as time expired to give Jessup a 22-13 lead through one.
The second quarter seemed to be a different game than that of the first. After Jessup nailed a few baskets to push their lead to double-digits, the Bobcats began to claw their way back into contention with a 22-6 run to cap off the quarter. The big blow came as Merced hit a buzzer-beater of their own, a 3-pointer by Allison Wisdom, to send the Bobcats into the half up 38-36.
The Warriors managed to shoot 43.8% (14-for-32) from the field in the opening half, but 14 of their misses came from behind the arch as Jessup shot just 17.6% (3-for-17) from 3-point range. Merced shot 39.3% (11-for-28) from the field in the opening half.
To start the third, Merced continued on the run they had to close out the first half, posting an early 8-3 run to increase their lead. Jessup then countered by putting up some good shots, trimming the deficit to as little as two after a 3-pointer from sophomore Rona Chavez (Clayton, CA). As the final minutes of the quarter ticked away, Merced again began to pad their lead, taking a 57-48 advantage into the final quarter.
The comeback was on in the fourth quarter, as Jessup took the court determined to walk away with a victory. The Warriors went on a quick 7-0 run to trim the deficit to just two, and after a basket by Merced, the Warriors quickly scored four more unanswered to tie the game. With just over two minutes remaining, senior Crystal Sewell connected on a very tough turnaround jumper to give Jessup the lead. The two sides fought back-and-forth for the final two minutes, but a 6-2 Merced run sent the game to overtime.
Overtime was where Jessup finally caught their stride as they went on a very fast 11-2 run to take a 79-70 advantage with just two minutes left. Merced would hit a 3-pointer in the final seconds, but the Warriors strong play earned a 79-73 victory.
Leading offensively for Jessup Friday night was Sewell. She capped off the night shooting 70% (7-for-10) from the field as she led the Warriors with 17 points. Freshman Olivia Luu (Riverbank, CA) added 14 points while connecting on four 3-pointers in her collegiate debut. Senior Alexandria Rodriguez (Rocklin, CA) added 11 points, and Corona finished the night with 10.
The season continues tomorrow night when the Warriors play host to their old conference foes from the Cal-Pac days, the Pacific Union College Pioneers. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m., and it will be the eighth and final game of the 2015 installment of the Bill Holtz Warrior Classic.
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William Jessup University is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC). For additional information regarding Jessup Athletics, visit www.jessupathletics.com; visit www.jessup.edu for more information on William Jessup University. Follow Jessup Athletics on social media: William Jessup University Athletics (Facebook), @WJUSports (Twitter), and @JessupAthletics (Instagram, and Snapchat).
