ROCKLIN, Calif. - The William Jessup Lady Warriors lost in a nail-biting finish to Westmont College, 52-55 on Saturday afternoon.
 
A few minutes into this contest it appeared as if Westmont was going to pull away early as they jumped out to a 13-5 lead after five minutes of action. However, after a timeout, Jessup would get a needed spark from their second unit as Leilua Iosia helped to ignite a 10-0 run that stretched into the second quarter. Iosia would go onto finish the game with 7 points, two rebounds, two assists and a steal.
 
Head coach Kurt Westendorp said in regards to the play of Iosia, "I'm really happy with the spark that Lei gave us both games this week. She is finding her stride at a time we need her most."
 
After several lead changes in the second quarter, it was Westmont who held a four-point advantage at the half-time break. Jessup would respond with their best offensive quarter of the night as they outscored Westmont 16-12 in the third frame. Lily Hagerty would get the first points on the board for Jessup in the second half by knocking down a mid-range step-back jumper as part of her game-high 10 points.
 
In the fourth quarter, Jessup fought hard to the finish and a late three-pointer by Olivia Luu kept hope alive as the game was tied at 48-48 with less than two minutes to play. Down the final stretch of the game, Westmont would make all five of their free-throw attempts to hang on to the lead and sneak past Jessup as the final buzzer sounded.
 
Despite the tough loss, coach Westendorp praised his team saying that "I'm really proud of the effort we gave today in all aspects of our game. Westmont is one of the best defensive teams in the country so we knew points were going to be at a premium." With a two-game road trip up next for Jessup, Westendorp concluded that "We need to continue to be a good defensive and rebounding team and find a better offensive rhythm as we hit the road next week."
 
After the road trip, the team will return home to close out the season with three straight home games beginning on February 17 as Menlo College comes to town for the annual 'Play4Kay' night.  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).