ROCKLIN, Calif. - In a game dominated by foul trouble and turnovers, the William Jessup women's basketball team escaped a late second-half push by the visiting Oregon Tech Owls to walk away with a 69-58 victory in their first game of the 11th Annual Bill Holtz Classic.
With their twin towers in Ashlyn Jones and Emilee VanDyke having to sit out much of the game due to foul trouble, it was freshman Miranda Zaragoza who provided the spark off the bench that the Lady Warriors so desperately needed to walk away with the win.
"We had to overcome some adversity tonight in the form of foul trouble," said head coach
Kurt Westendorp. "Miranda Zaragoza's production off the bench was huge for us, especially in the 2nd half when the foul trouble mounted."
Jones led the charge early on for the Warriors, tallying 10 points in the first quarter, including the first seven points of the game. Behind the hot shooting of Jones, Jessup held an early 21-13 advantage after the first quarter.
The Warriors continued to use their height advantage with VanDyke and Jones to end the second half with a 41-23 lead going into halftime.
In their effort to pound the ball inside, Jones and VanDyke each were handed their second personal fouls in the second quarter, and each picked up their third fouls early in the third.
With the Warriors at a loss for offense, the Owls outscored Jessup 15-8 in the third quarter. Using a full-court press, the Owls forced 14 Warrior turnovers in the third, trimming the deficit to single digits.
Searching for somebody to fill their shoes, 6-foot-3 Zaragoza used her size to get to the free throw line and put back offensive rebounds. Zaragoza racked up nine points and six rebounds in the second half alone to respond to the OIT run.
"I like my back to the basket and hard post-ups," said the freshman Zaragoza. "Go out there and play hard and leave it all out on the court."
The Owls were able to get as close as an eight-point deficit, but it was all for not as the final buzzer sounded with the Warriors taking the victory over a nationally recognized Owls squad.
Zaragoza would finish with 16 points and 10 rebounds, Jones led the Warriors with 17 points in just 15 minutes, and Olivia Luu added 11 points and five assists.
"We are very excited to get a win over such a quality program in Oregon Tech. To beat a team receiving votes in the Top 25 poll is a big accomplishment for our program," said Westendorp.
The Lady Warriors will return to the hardwood for their second game of the Bill Holtz Classic on Saturday at 7 pm as they take on Eastern Oregon.
Said Westendorp, "Tomorrow we face a big challenge against #7 Eastern Oregon. We will need to be on top of our game to get another signature win."
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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).
