SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Two days removed from receiving the highest national ranking in program history, the newly No. 16 ranked Warriors hit the floor in San Diego for a matchup against the San Diego Christian College Hawks. Jessup showed no signs of an emotional letdown from their overtime win one week ago, as the Warriors took the GSAC victory by the score of 97-81.
Suffering their lone conference loss 16-days ago, the Warriors entered Thursday trailing Westmont College by one-game in the GSAC standings. With Westmont losing Thursday night to The Master's University, Jessup moves into sole possession of first place.
After the Hawks started the game with an early lead out of the gates, senior Chris Murry (Fremont, CA) would hit an early 3-pointer to place the Warriors ahead 13-10. The early three-point advantage would be the turning point, as from that point on the Warriors never conceded the lead.
Murry would close the game with 14 points while connecting on 4-of-8 from behind the arch.
At the break, Jessup led the Hawks 31-17. San Diego Christian went on a run early in the second half, as with 12:30 remaining in regulation the Warriors' lead was cut to single-digits for the first time since the first half. The Warriors would push the lead back to double-digits on their next possession, and the lead would never drop lower than 10 for the remainder of the contest.
Senior Tahron Morrison (Farifield, CA) led the charge offensively for Jessup Thursday, scoring 21 points on 10-of-13 shooting. Freshman Brandon Lindsey (Tyone, GA) and senior Micheal Patterson (Amarillo, TX) each added 11 points in support.
As a team, the Warriors shot 55.9-percent from the field while posting a 50-percent (10-for-20) clip from three-point-range. The Hawks shot 47.4-percent.
With the win, Jessup moves to 14-5 on the regular season overall. In conference play, the Warriors sit at 4-1 and have pushed their GSAC win streak to three.
There are still 11 games left on the schedule for Jessup this season, and all but two of which will feature an opponent who has been featured in the NAIA Division I coaches poll at some point this season. Six of those games will take place at home in Warrior Arena, where Jessup holds a record of 6-1.
Following the win, the Warriors will continue their GSAC road trip this weekend as they travel to Phoenix to battle the Arizona Christian University Firestorm on Saturday. The Warriors split their two meetings with the Firestorm in 2016, with each side taking a win on their home floor. Tipoff is slated for 2:00 p.m. (MST).
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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).
