ROCKLIN, Calif. - In a back-and-forth affair, the Jessup women's basketball team got a game-winning layup with 1.4 seconds left from Miranda Zaragoza pushing the Warriors' past OUAZ 76-75.

Coach Kurt Westendorp praised his teams' ability to stay mentally tough throughout the game. "Tonight took a lot of perseverance from our team. Ottawa played great and kept the pressure on us with how well they shot the ball. We really could have folded several times but we kept having experienced players make key plays down the stretch."

The Jessup (12-7, 5-3) attack was a tale of two halves as Liz Gehweiler led the first half, while Zaragoza took over in the second.

The opening quarter, saw the Spirit take an eight-point lead with 2:43 left as Gehweiler led the Warriors with five points on two driving layups and a free throw. Creonah Bryant ended the frame on a positive note for the Warriors scoring on a layin to cut the deficit to 22-17.

In the second quarter, Gehweiler caught fire as she scored 15 points including a perfect 4-for-4 from the field, 2-for-2 from the three-point line, and 5-for-5 from the charity stripe.

Thanks to Gehweiler's offensive explosion the Warriors worked their way back to tie the game at 27, then took an eight-point lead at 40-32 with 2:32 remaining in the half. By the end of the half, Jessup held a 44-37 advantage.

In the third, OUAZ responded nicely outscoring the Warriors 17-15 but Zaragoza got her offense going with eight points in the frame to lead all scorers. During a key stretch, Zaragoza went on a 6-0 run giving Jessup a 52-58 lead with 2:26 left in the quarter.

Heading into the fourth Jessup held a 59-54 lead.

In the final frame, OUAZ went on a 7-2 run to get back within striking distance and then the Spirit took their first lead of the second half at the 3:29 mark. On three occasions, OUAZ took a three-point lead but Westendorp said his team did a great job executing in the final minutes.

"We executed brilliantly the last two plays to win the game. We were fortunate to get some missed free throws to go in our favor, and we capitalized on the chances we got."

With thirteen seconds left Gehweiler scored on a driving layup that cut the deficit to one, then after two missed free throws from OUAZ, the Warriors got Zaragoza open under the basket and she scored with 1.4 remaining to help Jessup grab the narrow victory.

Westendorp also said the win was huge for his team's mental approach the rest of the season. "This is a confidence boost for us in just knowing we can win these tight games, even when the outcome looks bleak."

The Warriors were led by a trio of scorers as Gehwieler had 22 (19 in the first half), Bryant added 20, and Zaragoza had another double-double with 19 points and 15 rebounds.


The Warriors will look to build on their two-game win streak Saturday as they take on Arizona Christian at 12pm in Warrior Arena.
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).