KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Basketball is a game of runs, a game of endurance, and a game of consistency. After knocking off the fifth-ranked team in the nation last night, advancing to the second round of the 2016 NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Championship, the clock finally struck midnight on Jessup's Cinderella story as they fell to the No. 3 seeded Mid-America Nazarene University Pioneers 90-76.
"I'm so proud of this group of men. They represented William Jessup University, their families, our basketball program, and themselves in such a first rate classy manner all season long. They set a standard for every other Jessup program and team moving forward," said a very emotional Lance Von Vogt at the conclusion of Friday's contest.
"This group of men committed to each other, they sacrificed for one another, and they raised the level of our program to national recognition. The future is bright for our basketball program because of the work these guys did."
Things started off rather shaky for the Warriors, as the Pioneers opened to a 10-2 run in the first three minutes of the contest. With the crowd behind them completely, Mid-America found early success down in the paint, winning the early battle down low. Jessup did not help themselves out much either, as they committed four quick turnovers in the opening five.
Jessup would eventually gain some momentum, clawing back into contention before eventually tying the game up at 17-17 with eight and a half to play. A big spark to the Warrior offense early was senior Brian Simmons (Sacramento, CA). Simmons gave Jessup their first lead of the night, 20-19, with a 3-pointer less than a minute after entering the game. Simmons would spark the offense again a few minutes later, hitting his second long-ball to put the Warriors up by three.
Eventually, the Pioneers were able to retake the momentum, and finish the first half the same way they started it, which was in complete control. Mid-America embarked on a 12-2 run over the final three minutes of the half, allowing them to take a 37-30 lead into the break. Jessup by no means helped their cause in the run, as the Warriors committed three offensive fouls in the stretch and saw their only points come from a pair of free throws from senior Corey Clement (Las Vegas, NV).
The charity strike was a key asset for the Warriors in the opening 20-minutes, as they connected on their first eight attempts and finished the half shooting 83-percent (10-of-12). The Pioneers saw their success come inside the arc, where they shot 54-percent from the field while shooting 0-of-3 from deep. The key scorer for the Pioneers was guard Jordan Whelan with 9 first-half points.
After an abysmal end to the first half, Jessup came out on absolute fire to start the final 20-minutes, charging onwards for a 9-0 run to take a 39-37 lead. The calls that hurt them in the final minutes of the first finally started to turn around, when during the run, Mid-America was called for both an offensive foul and a traveling violation, giving Jessup extra possessions.
The run was short-lived, however, as the Pioneers once again found a rhythm embarking on an 18-2 run of their own to take a 13-point lead with just under 15-minutes remaining. Once again, Jessup was hurt by multiple missed chances inside the lane, and committed 3 turnovers in that stretch.
For the most part, it simply felt as if it would be one of those night's where everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. Jessup battled down low and drew contact on every possession but received no foul calls. On the opposite end, luck was on the Pioneers side, proving evident when they attempted an alley-oop, but instead, the pass found the basket for an odd 3-pointer.
The Warriors finally started making some shots with senior Andre Smith (San Diego, CA) battling down low, and junior Guillermo Nunez (Manteca, CA) nailing a 3-pointer. Each Jessup point was countered; however, by the Pioneers on the other end. With just over six minutes remaining, the Warriors called time trailing 74-59, needing to set up a big time comeback if they wanted their season to continue.
Although they were playing for a National Championship, and a loss would result in the end of the season, Jessup seemed physically spent in the final minutes of the game Friday. Credit is given where credit is due; after playing a grueling schedule that saw competition against the NAIA's elite competition, the Warriors refused to ever quit and played the entirety of the game with 100-percent effort.
A miracle comeback was not in the cards Friday night, as the shots just wouldn't fall and even though Jessup drew contact on virtually every chance down low, the Warriors received very few trips to the line. With the game seeming to be in the balance, Jessup began circulating in members of the bench, drawing to a close the greatest season in the history of Jessup Basketball.
"This is such an amazing group of human beings," added Von Vogt. "I'm going to miss them more as human beings then I'm going to miss them as basketball players. The great thing, though, is this truly is one great basketball family, and we will stay connected moving forward. Each of these men has great things in store for them. God has great things in store for them as they move on."
In his final collegiate game, one of Jessup's most dominant performers of all time, Clement, finished the night with a team-high 16 points. Smith was right behind him, as he battled his way to a 15 point, 9 rebound night. Nunez connected on two 3-pointers in the game, finishing with 10 points.
The leading scorer for the Pioneers was Justin Randall, who totaled 16 points in his team's efforts. Mid-America also saw contributions from Jonas Page who added 15 and three other players who finished the night in double-figures.
The Warriors end the season with a record of 19-11 and spent the final month of the regular season ranked in the NAIA's top-25 Coaches Poll. The Pioneers advance to the quarterfinals of the 2016 NAIA National Championship, where they will face the winner of the Lewis and Clark vs. Our Lady of the Lake game.
"It's truly a blessing when you have no regrets, and I have zero regrets with this group of guys. All in all, we had a lot more triumphs than defeats. But in defeat, when you can look inside and know you gave it your all, you can walk out that door with your head held high and that's what we're going to do tonight. This team, and this group of men have nothing to be ashamed of."
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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).
