Costa Mesa, Calif. – Fresh off the heels of a close loss against another ranked opponent on the road, Jessup's men's basketball team (10-5, 2-2) further improved their performance and nabbed an upset over #24 Vanguard University (11-3, 1-2) on Vanguard's home court Saturday, posting a 99-92 win.
The Warriors controlled the game's tempo from the outset of Saturday's match taking the lead four minutes into the game and never letting go. Junior Guillermo Nunez (Manteca, CA) was instrumental in maintaining their advantage through the opening period sending two three-point shots straight through the hoop with the shot clock running down and hitting 3-4 from behind the arc in the half. Jessup would have a 47-43 lead going into the locker room.
The real challenges for Jessup came in the second half. Five minutes into the second period Vanguard assembled a 10-2 run to tie the game at 61. Jessup's head coach Lance Von Vogt called a time out and regrouped his squad who built back a seven point lead.
Again the Lions mounted a ferocious attack with nine minutes on the clock to bring the game back within two. Once more a time out got the Warriors back on the same page and Jessup went to work slowly building a 13 point advantage with just three minutes remaining on the clock.
It appeared that Jessup had the game all but in the bag with a nine point lead at the one minute mark, putting the Vanguard Lions in a must-foul position. Disaster struck when the Lions hit a three at the 46 second mark. Jessup made an uncharacteristic turnover on the inbounds and quickly the Lions sunk a second three-point shot to close the gap to three in just ten seconds.
Senior wing Kelton Newman (Elk Grove, CA) who played one of his season's best games found a fast break opportunity out of the inbounds and went strong to the basket where a single Vanguard defender was waiting. The referee; however, determined the defender had set his feet and an offensive foul sent the Lions to the free throw line. They hit both and brought the game within a single digit.
Just as they had done all night, the Warriors responded to the attack. A technical foul on Vanguard sent Jessup's center Andre Smith (San Diego, CA) to the free throw line to shoot two. Smith, a 57% free throw shooter on the season stepped up in a clutch way draining both.
Vanguard was still in a must foul situation down three and the shot clock turned off. They elected to send Newman to the line. He stepped up as well making both and giving Jessup back a two possession lead with 20 seconds left. The game once again appeared over but in the fury of the game Clement charged after a loose ball and was called with a foul giving Vanguard another opportunity to add points with the clock stopped.
This time the Lions missed and Jessup closed the game with a 99-92 victory, handing the Lions their first home loss this season.
"We have been preparing for these road games against ranked teams since my arrival two years ago," commented Von Vogt. "Tonight the guys showed the sometimes unnoticed growth of our program."
Senior Corey Clement had his first triple-double of the season with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and a whopping 10 assists. Nunez, Newman, and Smith each put up 18, 17, and 16 points respectively while Desmond Floyd (Gilbert, AZ) and Saajid Polite (Sacramento, CA) each posted 11 points.
"Corey Clement was terrific with the triple double, but honestly it was a total team win," concluded Von Vogt. "The sky is the limit with this group of guys and now they know they can."
Jessup finally returns home after a five game road trip to take on conference opponent Biola University in Warrior Arena on Thursday, January 14. The men will tip-off at 7:30 p.m. just after the women's game which is set to begin at 5:30 p.m.
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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).
