ROCKLIN, Calif. – What happened on Horton Court Saturday afternoon will go down as one of the most thrilling contests in Jessup Basketball history. With a very talented Hope International squad in town, two overtimes were needed before the No. 23 ranked Warriors could leave the court with a hard-fought 89-85 victory.
 
A relieved Lance Von Vogt spoke after the game, praising the team he put on the court Saturday. "I'm just, you know, blessed to have a team that's gritty, that is willing to do all the dirty work to figure out a way to win against a great Hope International team."
 
It wasn't pretty to start, as HIU jumped ahead early to a ten-point advantage. Trailing 17-7, the Warriors climbed back on clutch shooting from behind the arc, as Myles Corey, Tim Strijaous, and Jayden DeJoseph all drained triples.
 
DeJoseph was especially dangerous from long range as he connected on 3-of-5 from deep in the first half and six total triples for the game. His 26 points led the Warriors.
 
Von Vogt spoke on DeJoseph's shooting and leadership abilities after the game.
 
"That's what Jayden DeJoseph is capable of doing… He's got a lot of experience. He's been in these games before. He's been in these fights with Hope before, and he knows what's going to go down. And he was ready to play today. And he showed everybody what he's capable of. I think we're gonna see more of that as the season progresses."
 
Jessup tied the game in the final minute of the first half on a Matthew Schmidt layup, equalizing the score for the first time since 2-2. An HIU layup at the horn gave the Royals the lead once again, sending the contest to the break at 38-36.
 
The Warriors came out swinging in the second half, taking their first lead of the night on a Schmidt layup with 17:26 to go. The lead reached six with a dozen minutes remaining but back came the Royals with an 8-0 run.
 
Jessup gained a big advantage late in the second-half when HIU's Josh Powell-Davis fouled out of the contest. The fifth foul to Davis gave the Warriors a size advantage late until the game was neutralized, with the fifth foul called on Schmidt.
 
Stepping in to fill the void of Schmidt's absence was freshman Charlie Garrison. Garrison performed masterfully, recording four big rebounds in the second half and overtime periods.
 
Von Vogt talked up Garrison, noting, "Charlie is just unbelievably physical. He's a talented rebounder. And we needed that physicality because Hope is one of the most physical teams in the country. And Charlie gave us that extra edge to help us win the game."
 
HIU took a two-point lead with 42 seconds remaining in regulation. Needing a play, Jessup turned to one of their best as Corey recorded a backcourt steal and fastbreak dunk to tie the game at 73, sending the contest to overtime.
 
Corey again scored a clutch basket late in overtime, as his fastbreak layup put the Warriors ahead 76-74. But it wasn't enough as Jalani Horn scored with 43 seconds left, sending the game to a second overtime.
 
Jessup said enough as the second overtime period started, taking a three-point lead on a Corey jumper. The lead was pushed to five on a needed layup from Cashemin Williams, another player who came up big for the Warriors down the stretch.
 
Williams would ice the game on a pair of free throws with two seconds left.
 
"You know, Cash was unbelievable," added Von Vogt. "The fact that we just asked a lot of him today, and he answered the call. He was guarding. He was defending. He was running the offense. He had to make decisions on the fly. He had to play through contact. And, you know, he's a he's a gamer, and he's a winner. And I'm glad he's on our on our team."
 
Corey scored 21 points over his 47 minutes of action. Williams closed with 15.
 
Saturday's win gives the Warriors a record of 3-1 in conference. Overall, Jessup moves to 11-1. Saturday was the first conference loss of the season for the Royals as they also move to 3-1.
 
After 50-minutes of hard-fought basketball, Jessup now gets a needed break as they will not step on the court for another game until next Saturday when they visit Menlo College.
   
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).