ATHERTON, Calif. – With finals week in the rearview mirror, and a whole week off to rest and practice, the Warriors got back to work Saturday night with some GSAC basketball. Taking on their NorCal rivals, Jessup went on the road to (RV) Menlo College and were put to the test, needing every second to steal a 62-59 win.
 
"I thought it, you know, slowed us down a bit and allowed us to make some progress," said head coach Corey Laster on the week off. "We did a lot of shooting this week and concentrated on shooting. I thought it made a difference in terms of just showing a level of confidence."
 
The Warriors turned to the hand of JoeLyn Stirton to kick things off. Stirton was all around the basket in the opening quarter, playing a role in each of the Warriors' first 12 points. Over the first five minutes, Stirton drained two triples, converted two layups, and had an assist.
 
Stirton's ten first-quarter points had the Warriors in front 18-11.
 
"Joe is so smart," said Laster on Stirton. "She's of the smartest players I've ever coached and what she makes up for any athleticism against certain matchups she makes up in just understanding of the game. She's gonna do it all too."
 
The Oaks pieced together their first run of the night midway into the second, cutting Jessup's lead to three. A free throw later in the quarter by Sheniah Castex had Jessup leading by just one.
 
Jessup never surrendered their first-half lead, as a basket from Cheyenne Jankulovski was followed with a Monica Valenzuela three, leading to a 32-27 halftime advantage.
 
Menlo got within one again early in the third, but once again, Valenzuela answered with back-to-back baskets to give the Warriors a five-point lead. Mia Ledesma-Old Elk pushed the advantage to seven on a jumper with 4:08 to go.
 
No lead was ever enough to give the Warriors comfort, as Menlo closed out the third on a 7-0 run to send the game into the fourth at 47-45.
 
Valenzuela once again gave the Warriors some breathing room, connecting on a deep-ball for the first basket of the fourth. Jessup then looked to get their first-quarter star back in the scoring column as Stirton followed with a triple of her own.
 
It ended up being an 8-3 run by the Warriors to start the fourth, giving them an eight-point cushion entering the midway point. But just like every other time the Warriors started to get comfortable, Menlo charged back.
 
The Oaks clawed within two with just 34 seconds to play. Rather than fouling right away to get a quick possession, though, Menlo allowed the Warriors to run the clock down inside ten seconds before intentionally fouling Jankulovski. She went 0-for-2 in her trip to the line.
 
Menlo got one final chance, setting up a backdoor cut to the basket in the final seconds, but the layup did not fall.
 
"We knew they're scrappy team," Laster added on Menlo. "We're pretty comparable to them in terms of where we add our growth and then where their program is as well. So, I thought we showed some toughness and level of confidence that we had shown in other type games that we had."
 
Stirton was all over the box score in this one, finishing very close to the ever-elusive quadrable double. Her 13 points were paired with 11 boards, seven steals, and six assists.
 
Valenzuela was red-hot in the final three quarters, shooting 9-of-17 from the field in this one to score a game-high 22 points. Jankulovski also finished in double-digits with 11.
 
The Oaks had five players score ten points.
 
Jessup again gets a week to practice and rest, as they do not retake the court until December 17. The Warriors will be in Riverside on Friday to take on La Sierra before visiting Antelope Valley on Saturday.
   
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).