ROCKLIN, Calif. - Despite a relentless pursuit to make up for a methodical start, the William Jessup women's basketball team came up short of a miraculous comeback and fell to the Eastern Oregon Mountaineers 81-73 in the final game of the Bill Holtz Warrior Classic.

After facing a deficit by as many as 20-points in the second half, the Lady Warriors used a 9-0 run in the fourth quarter to spark a late resurging run. The comeback ended up being too little, too late as the Warriors simply ran out of time and were handed their first loss of the young season.

The Mountaineers started the contest on a 15-4 run, less than four minutes into the ballgame. The hot stroke of Payton Parrish set the tone early from beyond the arc. 

Quick ball movement and holes in the open floor had the Warriors lost on defense, allowing Eastern Oregon to shoot 51 percent from the floor, including eight three-pointers in the first half. 

"It was a rough start tonight against an extremely talented EOU squad," said head coach Kurt Westendorp. "They really moved the ball well and had us on our heels."

The Warriors allowed a season-high 44 points in the first half and faced a 44-28 deficit heading into halftime.

After inspiring his team at the break, Westendorp had his girls flying around on defense in an attempt to slow the seemingly unstoppable Mountaineer offense. 

"We talked about refocusing on the details on defense to not give up as many uncontested looks as we gave up in the first half," said Westendorp.

With a renewed confidence and energy, the Warriors comeback began with Ashlyn Jones and Olivia Luu sparking an 11-3 run in the third period to trim the EOU lead to just nine.

Heading into the fourth quarter with the scoreboard showing a 65-56 lead for Eastern Oregon, the Warriors could feel the momentum shifting into their favor. 

Hoping to end any hopes from the Warriors was Mountaineer guard Maya Ah You-Dias, as she tallied 11 points in the second half alone to sustain their slimming lead. 

The Lady Warriors went on a late 9-0 run with just a few minutes remaining in the final quarter to trim the Mountaineer lead to just four with over a minute remaining. 

Jessup was unable to knock down any big-time shots late in the game to scratch any closer. The final buzzer sounded with the Mountaineers walking away with the near victory. 

Jones led the Warriors in scoring with 22 points, while Luu added 20 points, three assists, and five rebounds of her own. Lily Hagerty also pitched in 11 points.

The Lady Warriors will look to bounce back against Pacific Union at home on Wednesday at 7 pm in yet another non-conference game.

Westendorp concluded, "Our team is highly motivated this year.  We have a vision of what we want to accomplish and we're learning what it's going to take to achieve that vision.  Tonight we ran into an elite opponent and saw that we need to raise our game to compete with the best teams in the nation."  
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).