DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – In a program first, Jessup took the court as a top-10 team Saturday, taking on the No. 9 Indiana Wesleyan Wildcats from the ICI Center in Daytona Beach. With a friendly face back in the lineup and a milestone at hand, the Warriors made a national statement with a 75-69 victory.
 
For head coach Lance Von Vogt, now a winner of 150 games in his Jessup tenure, Saturday was a chance to return home as the Warriors were playing just minutes from where he grew up in Port Orange.
 
"I feel amazing," said Von Vogt after the game. "Credit to our team and the staff for a great job tonight. And, you know, just the longevity of players that we've had since I've been coaching here. The honor goes to all the guys and the staffs that I've had. Because, you know, you don't get that number without a great group of people all working towards the same goal."
 
The game started as evenly as these two teams looked in the rankings, with the two sides trading basket-for-basket through the first ten minutes. The neck-and-neck affair continued to the 7:27 mark when a Malik Corey free throw gave Jessup a 20-19 lead.
 
Corey's free throw is noteworthy because it gave the Warriors an advantage they would hold for the final 27 minutes of basketball.
 
Jessup's first-half lead touched double-digits with 3:19 to play, thanks to a 3-for-3 trip at the line for Jordan Adams. Cashemin Williams stretched it to 14 on a duo of free throws with 90 seconds to go.
 
The double-digit lead continued into the second half, with Jessup pushing it to 16 as Myles Corey drained a 3-pointer with 9:35 to play. It was easy to feel comfortable at this point, but comfort quickly faded.
 
Indiana Wesleyan climbed back into the ballgame with less than five minutes to go, trimming the Warriors' lead to seven. The Wildcats eventually got within five, but it was too little too late by that point, as they had already resorted to intentionally fouling.
 
The Warriors went 7-of-10 from the line in the final 60 seconds, putting a milestone victory in the bag.
 
Myles Corey finished the night as Jessup's leading scorer, ending with 23 points. Williams finished with 14.
 
Making his return to the lineup Saturday as Tarren Storey-Way. In his first game this season, the reigning All-GSAC Team member scored 13.
 
"Tarren is one of the most talented glue guys in the country," said Von Vogt on Storey-Way's return. "When he really gets going, he's gonna be a big piece to what we do, and I'm super happy to have him back. I know his teammates are super excited to have his toughness, and his grit will really help us and the GSAC, which is, to me, arguably the best conference in the country."
 
Another debut for the Warriors in this one was by Charlie Garrison. Garrison has been a staple off the bench this season, but due to injury, he was asked to make the first start of his college career. He ended the night with six points and four boards.
 
"Charlie had to step up and be the starting center against an All-American from Indiana Wesleyan," Von Vogt added on Garrison's first start. "He had a little bit of a rough start to the game, but in the second half, Charlie was one of the big reasons that we were able to maintain our lead and win the game."
 
Saturday marked a second milestone for Von Vogt. On top of 150 wins with the program, it was also the tenth time a Von Vogt-led Jessup team has taken down a top-10 program in the regular season.
 
"We treat every game as the most important game of the season," added Von Vogt. "So the preparation doesn't change because we're looking for consistency regardless of who we play against. We treated this game the same way that we treat any other game, and I think that allows our guys to just go out and do what they do without feeling extra pressure. They know what's expected, and they're capable of going out and delivering."
 
The trip to Florida is no vacation, as another Top-25 team awaits the Warriors tomorrow in the likes of No. 23 Concordia (NE). The Sunday evening matchup is scheduled for 4 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 & Instagram).