REDDING, Calif. - The Warriors were able to fend off a late comeback attempt by the Simpson Red Hawks as Jessup won 84-76 on Saturday night. Head coach
Kurt Westendorp praised his team after the game saying, "This is a big character-building win for our development."
Elizabeth Roark knocked down a pair of three-pointers in the final minutes of the opening quarter and the Warriors put up a season-high 25 first-quarter points as they led 25-14 after the first frame.
Liz Gehweiler and
Emilee VanDyke scored back-to-back buckets in the second quarter giving the Warriors their largest lead of the game as the score read 37-21. However, the Red Hawks would go on a scoring run and slash into the Warriors lead with the halftime score at 41-32, advantage Warriors.
The Warriors were led in scoring by
Miranda Zaragoza who scored 12 of her game-high 21 points in the third quarter alone. Zaragoza proved to be a consistent threat on offense as she shot 9 of 12 from the field. At the end of the third quarter, the scored read 66-54 in favor of the Warriors.
Overall the effective play on the block from VanDyke and Zaragoza all game long was a critical factor in the team pulling out the win. Coach Westendorp recognized this as he said, "Our post play tonight really owned the paint in a way we needed!" Westendorp added, "Both Emilee and Miranda dominated on the block."
Going into the final quarter the Warriors held a ten-point advantage, but in the blink of an eye the Red Hawks ripped off an 18-5 scoring run and Jessup was now trailing 74-71. The Warriors would stay resilient as Gehweiler responded with a three-pointer to tie the game up at 74. Capitalizing on the momentum,
Olivia Luu drained a pair of threes.
Coach Westendorp praised the grit his team showed saying, "I'm really proud of the mental toughness we showed down the stretch." He continued saying, "Most teams would crumble after letting a big lead slip away, but we stuck together and made the winning plays down the stretch."
The Warriors next contest will be on Wednesday, November 14 as they travel to Cal Maritime Academy to take on the Keelhaulers at 5:30 PM.
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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).
