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Scoreboard

01
63
William Jessup WJU 10-7, 3-3
68
Winner Vanguard VUSC 11-2, 5-1
William Jessup WJU
10-7, 3-3
63
Final
68
Vanguard VUSC
11-2, 5-1
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
William Jessup WJU 4 20 18 21 63
Vanguard VUSC 13 20 20 15 68

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | | Quinton Lilley

Warriors late push comes up short at No. 5 Vanguard

Liz Gehweiler moved into the top-three all-time for career assists

COSTA MESA, Calif. - Thursday night's matchup was the Jessup women's basketball team's fourth-consecutive contest against a top-25 opponent and after a slow start, the Warriors played three solid quarters before ultimately falling to No. 5 Vanguard 68-63.

Vanguard was also Jessup's (10-7, 3-3) third consecutive top-5 opponent. 

Coach Kurt Westendorp said that the tough schedule truly tests you as a unit. "To play four top-25 teams in a row really shows what you're made of.  While we'd like to have gone better than 1-3 through that stretch, we were in tight games each time. The next round of GSAC will give us more chances to get a few notable wins."

While both teams averaged over 65 points per game, the contest got off to a slow start as Vanguard (11-2, 5-1) led 4-2 after six minutes of play. From there it was the Lions who took early control of the action as they led 13-4 by the end of the first frame.

Westendorp said the opening period was a strong defensive battle, "I think both teams really were locked in defensively in the first quarter. We found a good offensive rhythm, but unfortunately, it wasn't right from the tip."

Then in the second quarter, the Warriors got a 5-0 run going thanks to a three from JoeLyn Stirton on a dish from Liz Gehweiler. With that pass, Gehweiler launched herself further up the Jessup record book as she entered the top-3 all-time in assists and she currently has 189 in less than two full seasons.

The 5-0 run was capped off by Creonah Bryant as she connected on a driving lay-up to bring the score to 23-15 in favor of Vanguard. Then in the final three minutes of the first half, both teams traded baskets as VU led 33-24.

Midway through the third quarter, the Warriors trailed by eight before scoring on back-to-back possessions cutting the deficit to four. But the Lions again had an answer as they went on a 4-0 run of their own to push the lead back to 48-39 with 1:28 left in the quarter.

After cutting the VU lead back down to nine on a three from Gehweiler, the Lions scored at the buzzer giving them a 53-42 lead heading to the fourth.

In the final 10 minutes, the Warriors got the deficit within one possession three times but couldn't take the lead as they fell by five.

Westendorp said he believes his team will respond well from this loss. "This team has great belief in itself and being able to battle back against good teams. We made a few defensive adjustments and got some quality possessions to close the gap multiple times we just need to build on this effort."

The Warriors attack was led by Stirton's 19 points, following just behind her was Gehweiler with 16 points, five rebounds, and three assists. Bryant then rounded out Jessup's double-figure scorers with 13 points and six rebounds.

Westendorp said that while the loss wasn't what his team planned for, he's proud of how they showed resilience. "This is one of the toughest environments in the country to play in, against a top-5 team, and we showed that we belong."

The Warriors will look to rebound with their first road win of 2020 when they travel to San Diego Christian Saturday, tip-off is set for 1 p.m.
 
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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).
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