COSTA MESA, Calif. – One day removed from receiving votes in the latest NAIA Coaches Poll, the Warriors were put to the test, opening the GSAC season on the road. It took all the Warriors had to battle back in this one, but in the end, they couldn't come out on top, dropping their first game of the season 86-73 at the hands of the Vanguard Lions.
 
"Overall, you know, I thought Vanguard played fantastic," said head coach Lance Von Vogt after the game. "They won the hustle plays, and you know their two main guys Isaac Davis, and Garrett White, both played like All Americans tonight."
 
Vanguard jumped out to a 5-0 lead to start Thursday's contest, and after trading baskets with the Warriors, the Lions quickly stretched the lead up to six just five minutes into the game.
 
Jessup trimmed the deficit to four on a step-back jumper from Tim Strijaous, but the Lions quickly pushed their lead up to eight. Needing a comeback, Jessup scored seven unanswered, capped off by a Strijaous 3-pointer to cut Vanguard's lead to one.
 
The Warriors would get within one on two occasions in the first half, a Cashemin Williams layup and a lay-in from Jayden DeJoseph. Never in the first half did Jessup ever take the lead, as Vanguard stretched their advantage to nine to take a 46-37 lead into halftime.
 
Williams and Striajous were the main components of the Jessup offense in the opening half. Williams, a starter, scored nine points while Striajous added nine off the bench.
 
Von Vogt complimented Striajous after the game, stating, "I thought Tim was fantastic in the first half. You know, he gave us some points. He had nine points in the first half. Unfortunately, he got in some foul trouble in the second half. But he gave us a spark and, and, you know, we just couldn't really capitalize on any sustained runs, or we'd be right there."
 
The Lions came out of the half and quickly gained a double-digit lead for the first time all night, thanks to a jumper from Masie Mohammadi. Jessup promptly responded, scoring eight straight capped off by two baskets from Matthew Schmidt to cut the deficit to five.
 
Vanguard once again regained momentum and pushed their back up to double-digits. Needing a big play, the Warriors turned to the transition game as Malik Corey set up DeJoseph for a 3-pointer off the fast break. DeJoseph again connected on a three on Jessup's next possession, cutting the score to 61-54.
 
Jessup pushed it to a 12-2 run, capped off by a transition dunk from Myles Corey that cut the score to 63-60, forcing Vanguard coach Rhett Soliday to burn a timeout.
 
Once again, the Lions countered Jessup's comeback, scoring eight straight, including a four-point-play from White, pushing their lead back to 11. This time around, there would be no comeback from the Warriors to get them back into the game.
 
Vanguard ended the night on a 20-10 run over the final seven minutes of play, giving the Warriors their first loss of the season.
 
"You got to give Vanguard credit, man," added Von Vogt. "They were ready to play, and they earned the win, and we've got to do a better job of, you know, executing this environment on the road like this."
 
Schmidt ended the night as the leading scorer for the Warriors, finishing with 17 points to pair with a team-high six rebounds. Williams and Myles Corey contributed 12 points each, while DeJoseph finished with 11.
 
Vanguard was led by Davis, who dropped a game-high 25 points. White was right behind him with 24.
 
Von Vogt doubled down on his praise for Davis and White, adding, "In the end, they played like All Americans, okay, and you got to give them credit. I mean, we came all the way back after, you know, being down the entire game and got down by three, and then they hit a three-pointer and a four-point-play and back-to-back possessions."
 
"Those are backbreakers, you know, and so they responded to our runs in the second half, and you've got to give credit to the mental toughness of Vanguard, and we're going to get back at it."
 
The Warriors will have a short turnaround before taking the court Saturday afternoon against Life Pacific in San Dimas. After that, Jessup will get just two days off for rest before returning to action Tuesday when they host Cal Maritime.
   
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).