ROCKLIN, Calif. – Friday's opening contest of the inaugural William Jessup Thanksgiving Classic has been circled for months. Finally, the rematch the Warriors had been waiting for was next on the schedule, as Jessup battled to the end in a 65-60 loss to Lewis-Clark State College.
After the game, Head Coach
Corey Laster said that the hype was more so for those off the court than those who played. "I think we tend to take one game at a time. We knew they were a really good team. I think they're getting votes outside of the top 25. It was an opportunity for us to kind of get a win against the team would have been our second win against a team that was getting votes."
The reasoning for the hype behind Friday's game was how last season ended, as Jessup saw their season come to an end at the hands of LC State.
Jessup came out fired up from the jump as
Cheyenne Jankulovski hit two early jumpers to set the score at 6-6. A three just two minutes later from
Monica Valenzuela had the fans in Warrior Arena on their feet, as Jessup led 11-10.
After LC State scored four straight to take a 14-11 lead,
Maila Lepolo connected on the first of two triples, sending the game into the quarter break tied at 14-14.
LCSC stretched their lead to five early in the second before the Warriors came back to make it a two-point game on a three from
JoeLyn Stirton. LC State quickly responded, scoring five unanswered to take a seven-point lead.
Stirton was red hot in the second, connecting on four 3-pointers in the period to account for 12 of the Warriors' 14 points.
Laster spoke on Stirton's play, adding, "Joe is a shooter for us. That's why we start her, and I expect great things. I really challenged her to take more shots than she took even before the game because I knew she'd be important because they played zone most of the time. And Joe's a really good shooter. She's also a smart player defensively too."
At the half, LC State led 33-28.
Stirton picked up where she left off to start the second half, draining her fifth triple of the game to trim the deficit to two. Each team then traded baskets before a Jankulovski layup had the Warriors within just one point.
The Warriors would get within one on two occasions in the third, and they had a chance to do so a third time, but they missed a layup in the closing seconds. LC State took advantage of the error, providing a five-point swing as Adyson Clabby drained a long three at the buzzer, giving LCSC a 50-44 lead.
Bobbie Purify cut the deficit in half with a three-point-play on Jessup's first possession of the fourth, and after an LC State basket, Valenzuela had moved the game to two points on a three. Lepolo's second three of the game had the deficit at two once again two minutes later.
The Warriors got in their biggest hole of the day in the final three minutes as LC State went on an 8-0 run following Lepolo's basket, giving them their first ten-point lead of the game.
Jessup attempted to come back with a full-court press, and baskets from Valenzuela and
Natalie Moulos cut the game to five points, but those would be the final makes for any team.
Stirton led all scorers Friday night with 15 points, connecting on 5-of-10 from deep. Three other Warriors, Valenzuela (13), Jankulovski (12), and Lepolo (12) would finish in double-figures as well.
Jessup moves to 4-6 overall on the season with Friday's loss. LC State remains perfect at 5-0.
It will be a quick turnaround for the Warriors as they have another talented team to prepare for, as the William Jessup Thanksgiving Classic continues tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. The Warriors will be taking on Southern Oregon University.
***
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).
