MERCED, Calif. – A week of home cooking and games inside Warrior Arena has quickly ended, as the Warriors shift their season to the road, beginning a four-game road trip Wednesday at UC Merced. A first-quarter filled with mistakes slowed Jessup down, but they would eventually turn on the gas to pick up a 60-47 victory.
 
Turnovers plagued the Warriors early Wednesday. While Jessup had a productive shooting performance in the first quarter (62.5-percent), the number of shots they could get up was limited due to nine turnovers. Defensively, the Warriors limited UC Merced's ability to cash in, holding the Bobcats to just three points off those turnovers.
 
"We need more game experience," said Head Coach Corey Laster when asked how to fix the mistakes. "It's early in the season, and we haven't had a lot of practice time. We're still putting things in that the team is learning as we go. I think more practice and game time will help us to get more efficient."
 
UC Merced took a one-point lead into the second quarter, as the low-scoring game sat at 13-12.
 
Both sides traded baskets to start the second frame, as UC Merced used a timeout midway through the quarter tied at 20-20. An 8-3 Jessup run out of the timeout was the first point of the game either team dominated, as the Warriors turned this into a 30-27 halftime advantage.
 
Jessup once again showed success at finding the basket with their opportunities, connecting on 50-perfect from the field in the second quarter.
 
Laster's halftime speech must have worked, as the Warriors finally broke the score open in the third quarter. After back-to-back baskets from Monica Valenzuela and JoeLyn Stirton pushed the Warriors ahead by seven, a Kayla Vieira 3-pointer gave the Warriors their first double-digit lead of the night.
 
From the midway point of the second quarter to the end of the third, Jessup outscored the Bobcats 23-9 as they entered the fourth leading 45-32.
 
Laster said that the changes in the second half simply came from better discipline.
 
"I thought we were doing some things to help them like swiping at the ball, getting beat off the dribble, maybe fouling them in situations where we had them dead in the rights. But I thought we were a little more disciplined in the second half. We switched from man to zone, and that helped."
 
With a double-digit lead in their pocket, the Warriors kept a consistent approach in the fourth quarter, matching the Bobcats with 15 points apiece as they secured the victory.
 
A duo of Warriors ended the night in double figures as Makaila Glynn and Valenzuela close with ten points each. Glynn would add nine rebounds, while Valenzuela added eight.
 
The Warriors wrapped up the night with a 51-percent showing from the field.
 
Wednesday started the first of a four-game road trip for the Warriors that continues this weekend in Montana. Jessup will visit the campus of Montana Tech in Butte for the Montana Tech Tip-Off Classic on Friday, followed by a trip to Dillon on Saturday to take on the No. 21 ranked Montana Western Bulldogs. Both contests are scheduled for 5 p.m. (PST).
   
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 and Instagram).