SANTA CLARITA, Calif. - November 9, 2007, was the first women's basketball matchup between Jessup and The Master's. For 13 years, it was all Mustangs... until Saturday. The Warriors achieved their first victory in program history by jumping on the Mustangs from the start and never looking back.
 
Head Coach Hernando Planells said, "We talked today about starting fast and being the aggressive one on the defensive end. We always want to play our tempo and pace, and we did that today."
 
Jessup flipped the script of Friday's game where they trailed early and had to fight uphill by coming out strong in today's rematch. Maila Lepolo got things going with two floaters, then Juliette Caughey found Miranda Zaragoza down low for a layup, and Jessup held an early 6-2 advantage.
 
JoeLyn Stirton was key in sparking Jessup's hot start. She scored 8 of the Warriors 18 in the opening quarter as they took a four-point lead into the second period.
 
From there, Jessup's lead would grow further as Stirton knocked down her third three-pointer and converted on a fastbreak layup to put the Warriors up 24-14 with 8:23 remaining in the period. The Master's would make a run of their own, though, decreasing the Jessup lead to just five by quarter's end, as Jessup led 35-30 at halftime.
 
Any chance for a comeback would end there, though, as Jessup held The Master's to just five points in the third period, equaling their best defensive quarter of the season.
 
The Warriors would follow this effort with another lockdown quarter as the Mustangs posted just six points in the final period of play.
 
Planells commented on his team's defensive performance, "Anytime you only allow 11 points in a half, it's a total team effort where everybody is locked in and there for each other. Our ball pressure, help-side defense, and rebounding was a huge factor today."
 
Stirton led all scorers with 18, Lepolo followed with 11, and Cheyenne Jankulovski contributed 8. The Warriors held the Mustangs to just 25 percent field-goal shooting in the win.
 
When asked about what this victory means to the program, Planells said, "I'm really happy for the seniors and for our program. It's a great thing that our players are able to experience together and something that we can continue to grow from every game!"
 
The Warriors will head home for a matchup against San Diego Christian on Thursday. Tip-off is set for 5 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, Instagram, and Snapchat).