Angwin, Calif— The William Jessup Women's basketball team hit the road for their season-opening game as they defeated the Pacific Union College Pioneers 79-59 to start the season off 1-0. 
 
The first seven minutes of the opening quarter was closely contested, but Miranda Zaragoza would pick up two points to put the Warriors up 14-12. Zaragoza's work inside provided a momentum boost as Jessup led the Pioneers 21-15 after ten minutes of play. 
 
Continuing off the stellar play to start the game, the Warriors picked up where they left off in a well-executed second quarter on both ends of the floor. Offensively, the Warriors had their most productive quarter scoring 27 points. 
 
Defensively they were able to hold the opposition to a mere 12 points in the quarter. On the final defensive possession of the half, Leah Richardson stole the ball and quickly got it to Liz Gehweiler. With the clock dwindling down, Gehweiler found JoeLyn Stirton, who knocked down a deep three-pointer as time expired. At the half time break, the Warriors were on top, 42-27. 
 
Head coach Kurt Westendorp was impressed with how his squad looked on the offensive end, saying, "I'm really pleased we came out of the gate so sharp offensively in our first game of the year." He continued by adding, "We were in a great rhythm for most of the game and it showed." 
 
In the third quarter turning defense to quick offense was the trend. At the tail end of the third period, Caitlin Bowman forced a missed shot in the post and sprinted the length of the floor and after pump faking two Pioneer defenders proceeded to pick up two more points. Entering the fourth quarter, the Warriors led 65-46.
 
The Warriors continued to play aggressive defense right to the finish line as they won 79-59 at the final horn. 
 
Coach Westendorp expressed how it was the little things that helped them pull away as he said, "We did an excellent job controlling the rebounding game which really helped us stretch the lead late in the third quarter." As a unit, the Warriors were like magnets to the ball as they out rebounded their opponent 62-33. 
 
Zaragoza led the Warriors in rebounds as she tied her own school record of 21 rebounds while also scoring 15 points. After the game, Zaragoza praised her teammates' effort saying, "It was a great start to the season as we constantly fed on each other's energy to get the win."
 
Joining Zaragoza in double figures was Aycee Willis and Creonah Bryant as they each had 17 points while Liz Gehweiler ended with 12 points and four assists. 
 
Coach Westendorp finished by saying, "We have a lot to build on as we head into next week where we play three very solid opponents. I'm looking forward to seeing how we step up to the challenge."
 
Next on the docket for the Warriors is an exhibition on the road against the University of Reno Nevada on October 30^th at 5 PM followed by a pair of home games during the Bill Holtz Warrior Classic on November 1^st and 2^nd. 
  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).