PHOENIX, Ariz. – Coming off a victory yesterday morning, the Warriors again had an early tipoff to get ready for on Wednesday as they took on the undefeated Montana State University-Northern Lights down in Arizona. Jessup battled for all 40-minutes, but the neck-and-neck matchup tilted in favor of the Lights, as the Warriors dropped their final contest of 2016 71-68.

"Although the final score doesn't indicate victory I am extremely proud of our effort today. The guys competed through a very difficult situation especially when the calls weren't in our favor," said head coach Lance Von Vogt. 

Senior Chris Murry (Fremont, CA) turned in one of his best shooting performances of the season Wednesday. Connecting on 4-of-9 from three-point-range, the senior guard scored a game high 22 points while posting a perfect 6-for-6 clip from the free throw line.

With just under two-minutes left in regulation, Murry hit a 3-pointer to equalize the game at 66-66. The Lights would connect on two straight baskets after the Murry three, as the Warriors found themselves down four with 30-seconds to go.

A basket by freshman Brandon Lindsey (Tyrone, GA) trimmed the lead to two with 20-seconds left on the clock, but that would be the last shot Jessup could get off as the Warriors were forced to foul, sending the Lights to the line where they went 1-of-2 in the closing stretches.

The Warriors were never able to build a large lead Wednesday, as the largest advantage of the day came just under four-minutes in when Jessup sat with a four-point lead. The Lights largest lead of the day was 11, coming at the midway point of the first half, but the Warriors countered that with a 15-5 run to trim the lead to just one.
Jessup trailed at the break by just three points, 36-33. Montana State-Northern shot an impressive 50-percent from the field in the first 20-minutes, and the shooting would keep up with a 45.5-percent line in the second half. Jessup shot 41.8-percnt from the field Wednesday.

"Make no mistake about it Montana State Northern is a national level team," commented Von Vogt. "I am very satisfied with our ability to not only compete at that level but be victorious." 

Lindsey finished the game Wednesday with 13 points and 4 rebounds, as the freshman went 5-for-12 from the field in his 28 minutes on the floor. The Lights had just two players in double-figures, as David Straughter and Cameron Epps each added 10 points.

Wednesday marks the final game on the schedule for the Warriors in 2016, as the Warriors close out the year with a record of 11-4 overall and 1-0 in conference play. The season will resume after the New Year when Jessup travels to Atherton to take on Menlo College on January 3. The Warriors return home on January 5 to play host to Vanguard University.

"I am confident that our difficult non-conference schedule has properly prepared us to compete for a GSAC conference title," concluded coach Von Vogt. "We know that the road will be tough, but we believe in each other and our team."

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).