ROCKLIN, Calif. - The Warriors returned to Horton Court for their first home conference matchup of the season hosting the highest ranked team in the Golden State Athletic Conference, No. 5 Vanguard University. The Warriors ran with the Lions through the first three quarters, but the final 10 minutes of play would tip in Vanguards favor as they handed Jessup only their second home loss of the season, 68-81.

"Tonight was a tough loss to take with how well we played for a majority of the game," head coach Kurt Westendorp reflected.  "We put ourselves in position to beat one of the best teams in the country, but when Vanguard got into a rhythm offensively in the second half we didn't have a good enough response with our defense."

The Warriors would take advantage of the home court as they led out the gate hitting a trio of three-pointers, jumping to as much as an 8-point lead midway through the quarter. A deep three from Olivia Luu, her second of the game with less than two minutes remaining would give the Warriors a 9-point edge, but the Lions would close the opening quarter with their own from beyond the arc to close the gap as Jessup led 21-15.

In the second half the Warriors would earn a double-digit lead with back-to-back-to-back three's from leading scorers on the night Lily Hagerty, Liz Gehweiler and Olivia Luu four minutes into the quarter (32-19). 

Their largest lead of the game would come with less than four minutes left in the first half, freshman Joelyn Stirton connecting from deep, but a Lions 8-0 run backed by a pair of three's from both teams would close the gap as Jessup held the slight advantage at the break, 40-36. The Warriors shot an impressive 9-for-13 from the arc in the opening half compared to the Lions 3-for-9.

The second half would level out as Jessup would remain on top for the majority of the third quarter, their largest lead by 10 as Gehweiler would connect again from three (50-40), but a quick 7-0 run would make it a one-basket game. With just two minutes remaining in the quarter, the score would be tied and Vanguard would take their first lead of the game since the start by one with 52-seconds left. 

Headed into the final 10-minutes of play, the Warriors and Lions would be locked at 61 apiece.

The nationally ranked opponent would outrun the Warriors in the final half as they went on a 10-0 run in the first 6 minutes before the Warriors were able to connect. Unable to battle back from the deficit, Jessup would drop their first conference game on home court, 81-68, now 3-3 in GSAC matchups.

Leading all scorers was the dynamic duo, Gehweiler, and Luu with 18 points, Hagerty close behind with 17 of her own. 

Westendorp is looking forward to finishing strong with plenty of games left in GSAC matchups, "We still have three games to go before we hit the halfway point of GSAC play. We have an opportunity to finish strong and position ourselves to make some noise at the top of the league."

The Warriors will return to Warrior Arena on Saturday hosting San Diego Christian at 1 pm.
   
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).