Jessup University Athletics

ROCKLIN, Calif. - Continuing their home-court advantage streak, the Warriors returned to Horton Court on Saturday afternoon for the fifth home game in a row today taking on UC Merced. The Warriors continued their perfect season with a 67-52 victory over the Bobcats improving to a 5-0 start to the season.

Head coach in his fifth season, Lance Von Vogt is pleased with his team's performance but looks forward to what the team can become, "While I am very happy with the start to our season we have so much to shore up in every phase of the game. This team has the potential to be special if we can correct the areas that we are struggling with."

Maintaining the lead from the start, the Warriors held as much as a 17-point lead with 3:30 left to play in the first half as Wilson LaShells hit one from beyond the arc. The Bobcats would go on an 8-2 run in the final minutes of the half to cut the Warrior lead to 10 heading into the break, 39-29.

Struggling from beyond the arc all night, the Warriors were forced to take it to the paint with 28 of their points coming from the key and an impressive 18 points attributed to second-chance opportunities.

"This was the first game that we struggled shooting the ball and it was nice to see we were still able to get a convincing win over a very good Merced squad," Von Vogt reflected. "We made it a point to pond the paint once we saw our shot wasn't falling."

The Warriors outscored the Bobcats in the final half 28-23, still struggling from the field but working hard on defense to bring home the win. Leading the troops was junior Keith Phillips who recorded his second double-double in a row this season with 17 points and 12 rebounds. 

"Keith did a terrific job tonight being patient and utilizing his versatility to be a mismatch no matter who guarded him. He's going to be a big piece of what we do moving forward," Von Vogt said.

Close behind was junior teammate Luis Medearis with 16 points and one board shy of a double-double (9) and Antonio Lewis with 11 points and six rebounds.

The Warriors will head to Redding on Monday to take on Simpson University for their first road contest of the season, followed by the Lithia Classic at Oregon Tech University on Friday and Saturday.  
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).