ROCKLIN, Calif. – The Jessup Women's Basketball team returned home to Warrior Arena Thursday night as the Warriors (11-12, 6-5 GSAC) hosted Life Pacific (1-16, 0-10 GSAC). 

Jessup entered the contest having won three of its last four, and kept the hot streak rolling, defeating Life Pacific 74-20. The Warriors spread out the attack, as every player scored in the contest.

"I thought we shut that off in the second quarter, kind of found a groove and anytime you're making shots, we did a good job of really sharing the basketball. Especially in those early scores which was how we got going tonight," said head coach Corey Laster.

The Warriors came storming out of the gate with a 9-0 run with Cheyanne Jankulovski starting the scoring just 13 seconds into the game. 

Life Pacific rolled back and made it a one score game with seven unanswered, but the Warriors ended the first quarter on a 12-2 run to take a 21-9 lead.

Offense was tough to come by to start the second quarter, as the Warriors started 3 of 13 from the field and 2 of 8 from deep. Jessup tightened things up however, as it made 5 of its next 6 and ended the half of a 21-2 run.

Maila Lepolo led Jessup with 12 points in the first half, going 4 of 5 from three-point range. Kayla Vieira made an impact in the post with six rebounds and two blocks.

Jessup held Life Pacific to 6 of 30 shooting in the first half.

The Warriors kept their foot on the gas to start the third and extended the lead to 55-15 with an 11-2 run highlighted by six points from Jankulovski.

Amari Guiton made her collegiate debut in the second half for Jessup, sinking her first career shot and finishing the game with two points, three rebounds, a steal, and a block.

"I mean, she's come to Jessup averaging 18 points and 13 rebounds in high school, right. So it was great for her to get her first college experience," said Laster. "I was really happy to see her out there with a big smile on her face as well and especially how her teammates supported her so it was pretty special for the group as a whole."

Jessup dominated the battle on the boards, outrebounding Life Pacific 54-33. The Warriors also protected the perimeter and held Life Pacific to one three pointer in 16 attempts.

Natalie Moulos was the leading scorer for Jessup with 13, while Lepolo and Jankulovski added 12. Jennifer Pedretti did the dirty work down low, pulling down 12 rebounds. Juliette Caughey showed off her passing skills with a team-best six assists.

Jessup has its work cut out moving forward, as two of its final six opponents are currently ranked in the top five. The Warriors will be back in Warrior Arena on Saturday when they welcome (RV) Vanguard to town for a GSAC contest. Vanguard defeated Jessup earlier in the season 66-57.

"Even though every team's making the tournament this year, seeding does matter. I think and kind of set yourself up for the best possible scenario you can create for yourself," said Laster. "We have Vanguard coming in on Saturday and then the top two teams in the conference in Westmont and The Masters, so we got a lot of work to do"

Jessup is currently fourth in the GSAC standings heading into the final weeks of the season.  
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).