ROCKLIN, Calif. – The spirit of competition was in full effect Saturday night inside Warrior Arena, but ever more present was the spirit of giving. Saturday's contest between Jessup's Warriors and the UC Davis Aggies was more than a game. It was an opportunity to lend a helping hand to our neighbors in need.
Fans packed Warrior Arena for the return of men's basketball in Rocklin, with 100-percent of ticket sales and additional donations going directly to those hurt by the Dixie Fire. As a thank you, they were treated to the first-ever appearance by an NCAA Division I school on Jessup's campus.
After the game, Head Coach
Lance Von Vogt spoke about the crowd, stating, "It was great to have a full gym. It's been 20 months without any fans in the gym. It was the first time we played in front of fans for a long time, so to have a near-capacity crowd for a great cause raising money for the Dixie Fire, what an amazing deal."
The Warriors came out of the gates ready to play as
Jayden DeJoseph drained a three on Jessup's first possession to start the night, electrifying the crowd. Jessup seemed little fazed by their counterparts, matching each ensuing Aggie basket with one of their own.
UC Davis would gain a nine-point advantage courtesy of an 8-0 run midway through the first half, but the Warriors never lost composure as blocks from
Matthew Schmidt and DeJoseph stole back two possessions.
Jessup pulled the game back to one possession after a pair of
Cashemin Williams free throws, but a duo at the line on Davis' ensuing possession pushed the lead back to five as the halftime buzzer sounded.
The bulk of the offensive output from the Warriors in the opening frame came from the starting unit, as they contributed 24 of their 26 points on 36-percent from the field.
In the first half Saturday, a noticeable absence was reigning GSAC Freshman of the Year,
Myles Corey, as he quickly picked up three fouls. Scoring just five first-half points, Corey abruptly matched his first-half totals with a step-back 3-pointer, followed by a contested layup to trim the Davis advantage to three.
The points were needed, as they followed a run where Davis had pushed their lead to as many as ten.
Corey again took the roof off of Warrior Arena as his back-to-back threes cut the Davis lead to just two with three minutes to play. A timeout called by the Aggies had the Jessup fans in a frenzy.
The Aggies had regained their composure out of the timeout, powering to a 6-0 run that caused Jessup to burn a timeout of their own. Momentum was entirely in the Aggies' favor from that point on, as they controlled the final two minutes, leading to a 74-64 victory.
"Credit to Davis because they are so tough," added Von Vogt. "They are going to be the best defensive team we play all year. They made it tough for us to score."
Corey closed out the game leading all players with 21 points on 8-of-15 from the field. Also in double figures was Williams, who contributed 13.
"Myles played really well last year, and he's such a talented player. It was great to see him get a rhythm going in the second half," added Von Vogt on his second-year guard. "But there are still things he can clean up. HE can be better. I think that he will be better than what he was today."
Saturday's thriller will not count towards any records as it was an exhibition contest. The season officially tips off on Monday when the Warriors take on Simpson University at 7 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).
