STOCKTON, Calif. – It's no secret, every athlete enjoys playing in front of their home crowd. For the Warriors, a date on Horton Court has not come since October 29, but a return home is coming soon as the Warriors closed out a four-game road trip Thursday night at the University of Pacific.
In what will be the shortest distance traveled for a road game this season, the Warriors started red hot inside the Spanos Center, but Pacific quickly turned up the heat. A dominating stretch to end the first half gave the Tigers all of the momentum as they took the game, 83-33.
The Warriors came out firing on all cylinders to start, as 3-pointers from
Kayla Vieira,
JoeLyn Stirton, and
Monica Valenzuela had Jessup ahead 9-4. Another Stirton three extended the Warriors lead to 14-7 after a layup from Valenzuela.
Pacific charged back into the game with a 7-0 run to even the score, and that is where the game flipped. Beginning with a 3-pointer from Cecilia Holmberg with 2:38 in the first quarter, the Tigers embarked on a 31-3 run that had Pacific entering the locker room leading 47-20.
The Tigers kept their momentum rolling into the third, scoring the first 16 points of the period to extend their run to 48-3. A layup from
Bobbie Purify finally ended the drought with two minutes to play in the third.
Pacific took a 67-24 into the fourth.
Jessup got back to their deep shooting ways in the fourth, as Vieira drained two triples, followed by a three from
Natalie Moulos.
The Tigers would outscore the Warriors 16-9 in the final frame Thursday, an improvement from the second and third quarters, giving the Warriors something to work on heading into Saturday.
Vieira closed the game as the lone Jessup player in double figures, leading the team with 12 points on 4-of-11 from deep. Stirton added six, while Valenzuela and Moulos closed with five.
The four-game road trip is now over, as the Warriors can look forward to some home cooking this weekend. Coming to Rocklin is UC Santa Cruz for a 6 p.m. tip. However, the homestand will be short-lived, as the Warriors immediately return to the road for their GSAC opening weekend at Vanguard and Life Pacific.
Tickets for Saturday night's contest can be purchased ahead of time
HERE.
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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).
