ROCKLIN, Calif. –  With the spring semester beginning this past Monday, the Warriors officially got back into the swing of things as they hit the court Thursday night to play host to a tough opponent in the form of the No. 7 ranked Westmont College Warriors. In a game that will go down as one of the best all season, it was the Jessup Warriors who took home the win by the score of 103-96.

The win Thursday is William Jessup University's first ever victory over Westmont College. Westmont entered the night ranked No. 7 in the latest NAIA Division I Coaches Poll, pushing Jessup to 2-0 on the season against top-10 ranked opponents.

"I really believe that our guys enjoy the challenge, and we feel that we can be mentioned in the same breath as those (top-10) teams. I thought we proved that last year when we went to the National Tournament," said head coach Lance Von Vogt postgame.

Forty-minutes of basketball was not enough to decide a winner Thursday, as the battle of the Warriors went to overtime in front of a jam packed Warrior Arena. Aided by four quick points by senior Tahron Morrison (Fairfield, CA), followed up with a three-point-play and 3-pointer by senior Elijah Lewis (Atlanta, GA), Jessup would outscore Westmont 20-13 in the extra frame.

Morrison and Lewis closed the game tied for a team high 17-points. Morrison added 6 rebounds and a block to his efforts, while Lewis totaled 4 rebounds, a game high 7 assists, and 3 steals as well. As a team, the Warriors had a season high 21 assists.

To get to overtime, Jessup would need some last second heroics. The team looked to a young, familiar face in that of freshman Brandon Lindsey (Tyrone, GA). Lindsey drove to the lane and scored on a contested layup to even the game at 83-83.

Lindsey finished the night Thursday with 16 points to go along with 5 rebounds and 6 assists.

"I thought Brandon Lindsey absolutely might have played his best game. He was involving others throughout, that was terrific," Von Vogt added.
Westmont had the largest run of the game, a 17-2 break. The run occurred midway through the second half after an intentional foul was issued to Lewis, sparking excitement in the Westmont bench.

Cory Blau of Westmont was the biggest thorn in the side of Jessup all night long. The guard scored a game high 32 points while connecting on 11-of-18 from the field and 6-of-9 from three-point-range.

"Cory (Blau) is an All-American, he may be the best player in the GSAC, and he is a money player," said Von Vogt. "I have the upmost respect for Westmont, I have the upmost respect for Cory Blau. In three years, he has been the toughest guy we have had to cover in the three years we've had to face Westmont."

As a team, Westmont was deadly from long range. The opposing Warriors shot 13-of-22 from deep Thursday, including a 75-percent clip (6-for-8) in the second half that helped claw back at Jessup's eight-point halftime advantage.

Jessup started fast Thursday, as after a 3-pointer from senior center Cody Wilcox (Grass Valley, CA), Westmont called their first timeout of the night with Jessup leading 14-7. Westmont would come out of the timeout on a 7-0 run to equalize the game at 14-14.

After a 3-pointer from guard Gerald Karczewski put Westmont ahead 32-31 with 3:36 to play in the first half, Jessup too called a timeout to regroup. Seniors Chris Murry (Fremont, CA) and Kelton Newman (Elk Grove, CA) connected on back-to-back 3-pointers out of the timeout to put Jessup ahead for the remainder of the half.

Defensively, Jessup forced 21 turnovers in the win, with senior Micheal Patterson (Amarillo, TX) leading the way with a game high 5 steals. Patterson also scored 16 points including a thunderous slam dunk in the final seconds of overtime. The Warriors outscored Westmont 24-17 in points-off-turnovers.

"That's part of our game plan, and we practice that on a daily basis," Von Vogt said of his team's success in scoring off of turnovers.

Jessup improves to 13-5 overall on the season, with their record in Golden State Athletic Conference play moving to 3-1. The Warriors currently sit in second in the GSAC standings, behind Westmont who hold a 4-1 conference record.

As they ride this wave of momentum, the Warriors will look to keep the wins coming as they hit the road next week for a duo of GSAC matchups. Jessup will face San Diego Christian College on Thursday January 19, followed with a trip to Phoenix to face Arizona Christian University on Saturday January 21.
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).