SANTA CLARITA, Calif. - Riding a four-game win streak into Friday, the Warriors resumed the GSAC season as they took on the No. 13 ranked Master's University Mustangs. All square in the final seconds, a three before the horn pushed Jessup's streak up to five, as they won 74-71.
 
"We're playing one game at a time, and tomorrow is the most important game of the season," said Head Coach Lance Von Vogt when asked about his team's five-game win streak.
 
"Tomorrow at 2:30, we have an opportunity to go against the no. 13 ranked team in the country, in their gym. That doesn't come around very often."
 
Having not played a game in two weeks, the Warriors showed little rust out of the gates. The two teams traded baskets over the game's first seven minutes before Jessup finally took the lead at 16-15.
 
The final ten minutes of the first half Friday were filled with runs. With Jessup leading by three, the Mustangs charged out to an 8-0 run to go ahead by five. That lead would eventually be stretched to seven as TMU led the Warriors 28-21.
 
Thanks to Tarren Storey-Way and Malik Corey's back-to-back threes, the Warriors countered with a 10-0 run of their own. Over the final nine minutes of the half, Jessup's defense held the Mustangs to no made baskets from the field as the Warriors took a 38-33 lead into the break.
 
Masters seemed to have fixed their shooting woes in the locker room, as they opened the half with yet another run, this one at 10-0. Similar to the first half, Jessup regained composure quickly as a Jayden DeJoseph 3-pointer put the Warriors back on top. 
 
Von Vogt credited the Warriors' mental toughness and physicality as being a method to keep them in the game.
 
"We were exceptional at being tough and competing. It was not a pretty win. It was an old school, 1985 Georgetown vs. Syracuse Big East battle. It was good that we didn't back down because I thought Master's played extremely physical."
 
With TMU again leading by seven, the Warriors made one last run to steal back the momentum. A 16-4 run with less than five minutes to play had Jessup leading by five, but the Mustangs would not go away. 
 
Leading by four with just over a minute remaining on the clock, TMU quickly scored on back-to-back possessions. Tied with 11 seconds on the clock, freshman Myles Corey kicked the ball out to Tim Strijaous, who drained a three with just seconds remaining, sealing the victory.
 
A trio of Warriors finished the game in double-figures Friday. Stiajous led the way with 18 points, while Myles Corey and Storey-Way each added 16.
 
For the Mustangs, Davian Brown scored a career-high 28 points while also being lockdown on defense with four steals. 
 
Both teams will get another shot at one another tomorrow, as tip-off for round two of this back-to-back series is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
   
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).