COSTA MESA, Calif. – The slate of non-conference opponents has taken a brief hiatus as the Warriors opened the GSAC season Thursday night. With one of the country's best in front of them, Jessup put up an intense fight in a 66-57 loss to the No. 7 Vanguard Lions.
Jessup jumped out to a hot start, taking an early 6-4 lead as
Bobbie Purify scored a fast-break basket set up from a
Cheyenne Jankulovski steal. The basket set up a 9-3 run for the Warriors, capped off with a corner three from
Monica Valenzuela, forcing Vanguard to use a timeout.
Jankulovski was a force all over the court in Thursday's first half, as her six points and two assists helped the Warriors take an 18-14 lead into the second quarter.
Quarter two saw the Warriors continue to hold serve, as a 3-pointer from Purify pushed the Warriors lead to 27-22. However, the Lions would come back, sending the game into the half with Jessup leading 34-33.
The Warriors introduced a new starting lineup for Thursday's game, and Jessup saw production out of the three new additions. Along with Jankulovski and Purify getting their first starts of the season,
Jennifer Pedretti was also introduced to the lineup, making the first start of her Jessup career.
After the Warriors hit a quick basket to go ahead by three to start the third, Vanguard quickly came back to take their first lead since early in the first quarter. Jankulovski helped battle the Warriors back into the lead, scoring five points on three consecutive possessions to give Jessup a 44-39 advantage.
"I thought we got good play out of our seniors. They did a good job of playing towards our scout," said head coach
Corey Laster after the game. "We have mental lapses and still trying to get our freshman up to speed but we made good progress tonight."
The Lions ended the third red hot, taking a 48-46 lead into the fourth.
That red hot finish continued into the next period, as the Lions started the fourth quarter on a 9-0 run. The run finally ended on a fast break layup from Valenzuela with just over seven minutes remaining.
Vanguard kept up their pace in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Warriors 18-11. Jessup cut the deficit to seven off a
Makaila Glynn layup, but Vanguard quickly recaptured momentum and put the game away.
"We have to be better down the stretch on the interior and we put them at the line way too much," added Laster. "I was proud of how hard they played. Tip my hat off to Vanguard, they made it tough on us with their defensive intensity."
Jankulovski closed the night with 14 points. Also scoring 14 was
JoeLyn Stirton, who went 4-of-8 from beyond the arc. Pedretti added nine points in her first start.
The Warriors shot 43-percent from the field on Thursday, compared to a 48-percent showing by the Lions.
Jessup will get back on the court Saturday morning as they wrap up this short two-game GSAC stretch with an 11 a.m. tip at Life Pacific University.
The Warriors will then get nearly a week off before their much-anticipated rematch with Lewis-Clark State next Friday inside Warrior Arena. LC State ended Jessup's 2020-21 season in the NAIA Opening Round.
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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).
