ROCKLIN, Calif. - Jessup Men's Basketball returned to Horton Court for their historic Bill Holtz Warrior Classic, taking on Bushnell University in the weekend's opening game. The Warriors would take the lead early in the first half and not look back as they collected their 2-0 start on the season.

"I liked the energy in the gym tonight, and I thought we had some better offensive execution throughout, keeping the turnovers down and winning the rebounding battle," head coach Lance Von Vogt said after the victory. "It was a good win against a very good team that is well-coached." 

It was an early jump for the Beacons to open the game, but that wouldn't last long as what would be a wild first half from downtown was sparked by junior Jayden DeJoseph with back-to-back threes to take the 8-5 advantage just three minutes into the contest. 

All tied up at 18, freshman Myles Corey would take his turn and connect from the arc to put the Warriors ahead. The lead would exchange a couple more times before the five-minute warning where a 5-point lead favored the Warriors, and a three-ball from Jaylen Johnson would extend that lead to the first-half buzzer.

The last three of the first half was delivered by the one that started it all as DeJoseph connected with less than a minute remaining, with the Warriors looking for the double-figure advantage heading into the break (42-31). But Bushnell would get the last basket; nevertheless, the home-court edge remained as the Warriors led 44-35 at the half.

The Warriors shot 9-for-15 from the three-point line in the first half while out rebounding their opponent, 24-18. 

It wouldn't take long for the Warriors to gain that double-digit lead back as freshman Matthew Schmidt opened the second half with back-to-back baskets taking a 48-35 lead. The lead would extend to as much as 16-points with a three-ball from Cashemin Williams at the 17-minute mark, 57-37.

The Warriors would defeat the Beacons, 74-61, collecting 47 rebounds to their opponents 42 and shooting 40-percent from the field versus Bushnell's 33-percent. 

While the W goes in the book, Von Vogt also reflects on the need for areas of growth so early in the season, "The one area we have to do a better job of is defending without fouling. I thought that is what kept Bushnell into the game, knocking those free throws down."

Myles showed his talents at the rim and beyond, opening the game with a slam dunk and recording another pair in the first 20-minutes of play as he led the Warriors with 22-points on the night. Also in double figures were DeJoseph (17), Tim Strijaous (12), and Williams (10). Leading the forces on the board was Strijaous with ten, and Williams led the Warriors with six assists.

The Bill Holtz Warrior Classic recorded two wins from the GSAC in Menlo College and Jessup on Friday, and a pair of games tomorrow will conclude the 15th Annual Tournament.

Coach Von Vogt reflects on the rich history of the tournament and its impact on the program now, "Bill was a longtime statistician for our department, and a way to honor the rich history of Jessup and those that have helped build this University through their efforts and servant leadership, is this tournament. Bill was a great example of that servant leadership. That is one of the cornerstones of our program, and we work with our guys every day to model that same behavior he modeled while he was with us."

The Warriors continue their play on Horton Court tomorrow for their matchup against Oregon Tech at 6 pm. Be sure to get your tickets ahead of time by heading over to jessupathletics.com/tickets.

"We have an opportunity to play against OIT tomorrow, who is fantastic and No. 13 in the country," Von Vogt concluded, "So we are looking forward to the challenge of playing one of the top teams in the country."  
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).