REDDING, Calif. – The William Jessup women's basketball team started off a five game road trip with a win over the Simpson University Red Hawks, 77-65.
 
At the start of the first quarter, the Warriors allowed the opening five points but quickly responded with a 5-0 run themselves to tie the game up. Later in the quarter, Miranda Zaragoza ended a scoring drought with great post execution with 20 seconds left on the clock, slashing the deficit to five. At the end of one quarter, Jessup trailed 10-15. 
 
The pace of play began to ramp up in the second quarter and with that, so did the amount of scoring for both teams. Zaragoza added two more points to her total then on the following possession, Zaragoza kept things going with an offensive rebound and the result was a JoeLyn Stirton three pointer to tie the game at 17 apiece. 
 
With six minutes left in the second quarter, the Warriors gained their first lead of the game off a Creonah Bryant three point bucket. The shot was a part of an 11-0 scoring run by Jessup as they led 28-19. The Red Hawks weren't going away and they outscored Jessup 11-2 in the final two minutes of the first half. Entering the third quarter, the Warriors held a narrow lead, 33-32. 
 
Jessup's offensive attack didn't slow down and within the first ten seconds of the third quarter Stirton nailed another three pointer. Throughout the quarter each of these teams stayed with each other stride for stride but this time around it was the Warriors who ended the quarter on a scoring run. By the end of the third period, Jessup had a double-digit lead, 57-47. 
 
A few possessions into the fourth quarter, the Red Hawks had momentum as they scored four points in less than a minute, cutting Jessup's lead to six points. However, the Warriors quickly responded by scoring eight points unanswered. The scoring run propelled Jessup to victory as they defeated Simpson, 77-65. 
 
Head coach Kurt Westendorp shared his thoughts after the game, saying, "We played some very tough, gritty, winning basketball tonight in the second half." He went on to say, "Our execution and rebounding down the stretch was the difference in a very close game." The Warriors were extremely effective on offense with 18 assists to 12 turnovers. As a team, they valued each possession and coach Westendorp commented on that, saying, "Only having four second half turnovers was another key stat for us." The minimal amount of turnovers resulted in a variety of players scoring the ball.
 
Four players finished in double-figures with Zaragoza leading the way scoring 18 points and pulling down 15 rebounds. Stirton and Bryant each finished with 15 points and Aycee Willis had 10 points.
 
The Warriors record now stands at 5-1 as they prepare to head to Montana for a pair of games at the College of Idaho Shoot-Out.
  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.edufor more information on William Jessup University. Follow Jessup Athletics on social media: William Jessup University Athletics (Facebook) and @JessupAthletics (Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat).