PHOENIX, Ariz. – With Christmas vastly approaching, the Warriors hit the road one last time in 2016 as they made their way to Arizona for two games in the Cactus Classic. With an early 9:00 a.m. tipoff to get ready for, the Warriors had little time to prepare Tuesday, yet still Jessup was able to secure an 81-69 victory over the Olivet Nazarene Tigers.

"We arrived at our hotel around 11 o'clock last night," said head coach Lance Von Vogt. "I was concerned about the nine o'clock tip off time, but the team did a great job of bringing their energy and handling business against a very good scrappy team in Olivet Nazarene."

Jessup opened the game on a fast note, as after a 3-pointer by Olivet Nazarene's Tyler Crater, the Warriors countered with a 10-0 run, sparked by four points from senior forward Tahron Morrison (Fairfield, CA). Morrison would finish Tuesday's game with 9 points and 3 rebounds during his 18-minutes on the court.

The Tigers inched close to the Warriors in the midway part of the first half, as the Jessup lead was trimmed to three with just over ten-minutes to go. A three-point-play by senior Micheal Patterson (Amarillo, TX) ended the Olivet Nazarene comeback bid, as it energized the Warriors towards a 14-1 run that saw the Jessup lead reach as high as 16.

Patterson closed out the game Tuesday with 14 points and 6 rebounds, shooting a 5-of-12 clip from the field in 23-minutes off the bench.
"Micheal Patterson played terrific off the bench today," praised Von Vogt after the game. "He is really rounding into a super sub for us."

Jessup posted a 47-percent (17-for-36) showing from the field in the opening 20-minutes, but in the second half the Warriors saw their percentage drop as they only shot 29-percent (9-for-31) in the closing half. The Warriors did have a comfortable margin in the rebounding game Tuesday, as they outrebounded the Tigers 48-30.

"Our competitiveness on the offensive rebounds definitely allowed for us to keep a comfortable lead even when our shots weren't falling," Von Vogt said.

The Warriors opened the second half with five straight points, with a 3-pointer by senior Elijah Lewis (Atlanta, GA) extending the Jessup lead to 21 which would sit as their largest lead of the night. The lead would be pushed to 21 three times in the second half, but a 13-4 Tiger run midway through the second half had Jessup's lead virtually cut in half.

Olivet Nazarene countered Jessup's second half shooting woes with a 52-percent shooting performance of their own, as the Tigers connected on 14-of-27 from the field with a 5-of-9 (55.6-percent) showing from three-point range.

Even with the low shooting numbers, the Jessup lead never created under the nine-point mark in the second half, allowing for the Warriors to maintain breathing room with a comfortable advantage. The Tigers pushed Jessup's lead to single digits twice in the second half, with both opportunities coming with less than 90-seconds on the clock.

Freshman Brandon Lindsey (Tyrone, GA) and senior Chris Murry (Fremont, CA) led the scoring for the Warriors, as the guard duo put up 15 points each. Nic Reed of the Tigers led all players with 18 points, with Crater finishing behind him with 16.

Jessup will get back on the court tomorrow for their final game of 2016, as the Warriors are set to take on Montana State University-Northern at 11:00 a.m.
"Montana State Northern is one of two unbeaten teams remaining in the NAIA," said Von Vogt. "We will need to bring our A-game tomorrow in order to be successful."
 

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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) and @JessupAthletics (Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat).