ROCKLIN, Calif. – Coming off a big bounce back win in Atherton Tuesday night, the Warriors (17-7, 9-4) hosted Vanguard University (15-8, 4-7) Thursday night for a key GSAC matchup. With both teams battling to move up in the conference standings, it was Jessup who battled back from a first half deficit to take the win 76-73, moving them to 1.5-games out of first place with three games to go.
"This is a really fun group of guys to coach," said head coach Lance Von Vogt postgame. "They're hungry; they're tough, and resilient. That's become the battle cry of this team, toughness and resiliency. Whatever happens on the floor, we're going to be tough and be resilient."
The last time these two teams faced off in Warrior Arena it was an epic double-overtime game which the Lions won by a single point at the buzzer. Jessup avenged their lost in the two teams' first meeting this year taking a win at then No. 24 Vanguard University on their court 99-92.
That left Vanguard looking to regain the upper hand over Jessup in what was destined to be a battle that would last until the bitter end. So it went through the first half, with no team grabbing a lead over the other larger than six. The intensity seemed to be fraught with fouls, not mal-intentioned fouls but hustle fouls, which didn't appear to terribly upset either coach.
The half ended with a big Vanguard 14-4 run at the Warriors, giving them what felt like a big lead of 5 points 43-38. The score included a buzzer beater basket by Vanguard which was slightly questionable as to whether or not it was off in time. Perhaps the call spurred the Warriors into the second half because they came out hot!
Saajid Polite (Sacramento, CA) started things off with a pull up three followed by a massive dunk by senior Andre Smith (San Diego, CA) which either thankfully or disappointingly, (depending on your perspective) didn't break the rim. In the end the Warriors put nine points on the board before Vanguard dropped in their first bucket of the second half.
Vanguard seemed flummoxed but nonetheless kept the game within two possessions and the teams settled into a rhythm reminiscent of a fast paced marathon. Once again, neither team saw a lead greater than six points and it was all square at 69 as the clock progressed under two-minutes.
Michael Patterson (Amarillo, TX) made an acrobatic timeout call while falling out of bounds while pulling down an offensive rebound. The call proved worth it when Polite slammed the ball home in the ensuing possession. Vanguard was awarded two free throws after an offensive rebound of their own to square the game again headed into the final minute.
Senior Corey Clement (Las Vegas, NV) hit a free throw to give Jessup a one-point lead with just under 40-seconds remaining, but missed the second end of the one-and-one. Thankfully, Clement was able to steal the ball away from the rebounder for Vanguard, setting up free throws for Polite. Polite too went 1-of-2 from the line, and Jessup again got the offensive rebound, setting up Polite to go 1-of-2 from the line once more.
Vanguard would finally get the ball down three with less than 10-seconds remaining, but great coaching by Von Vogt instructed Jessup to foul, disallowing the Lions any chance at evening the game. Jaamon Echols of Vanguard went to the line, and after making the first, he needed to intentionally miss the second, but his shot went in giving the ball back to Jessup to run out the clock and secure a very wild win.
"I believe winning close games like this, and playing in pressure situations is key for the playoffs," said Von Vogt. "You're going to play some very good teams in the playoffs, and we want to be battle tested so that when we play a playoff caliber team we're able to become victorious at the end of the game."
Leading the charge offensively was Polite who racked up 26 points and 5 assists in the win, shooting 5-of-6 from three-point-range. Right behind him was Clement, who connected eight free throws, finishing with 16 points. Smith recorded yet another double-double, totaling 15 points and 10 rebounds.
The win puts Jessup at 9-4 in conference play with just three games remaining. The Warriors currently sit 1.5-games behind first place Biola, and just a game behind Hope International for second. The top two teams in the GSAC standings will receive a first round bye in the upcoming playoffs.
"We don't like to get caught up in the implications of our games, we like to get caught up in trusting the process, respecting the game, and valuing the 40-minutes of clock time that's up there to begin the game," said Von Vogt.
"When you start looking at implications, you start to lose focus on the goal at hand and your purpose. We try to get locked in on getting a little better than you were yesterday, and allowing us to focus on the things we can control…Implications have to do with other teams that we have no control over."
Jessup now gets a week off for some much needed rest and relaxation before they embark on their final road trip of the 2015-16 season. On Thursday, Jessup will be in San Diego to take on San Diego Christian at 7:30 p.m. The road trip finishes with a tough game down in Phoenix on Saturday, Feb. 20, against Arizona Christian. The Warriors were victorious earlier this season in both their meetings with the two schools.
***
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).
