SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Conference play has officially resumed across the GSAC. In their first GSAC matchup in nearly a month, the Warriors found themselves in Santa Barbara, taking on the reigning NAIA National Champions and current No. 2 ranked program in the country, Westmont College.
 
Jessup sat within reach at the end of one period, trailing just 13-10. From there on out, it was all Westmont, as this battle of the Warriors tipped towards the home side, 63-45
 
"The challenge for us is always scoring the basketball," said head coach Corey Laster after the game. "I think good teams kind of expose you know what you're missing or what you're not really good at. I thought we struggled a lot with just ball movement, we ended up with nine assists, like taking my game, so that really hurt us."
 
The Warriors of Jessup had two players tied at the top of the box score in this one, as Jennifer Pedretti and JoeLyn Stirton led the way with eight points apiece. Stefanie Berberabe of Westmont led all players with 17 points in this one.
 
Pedretti pieced together a very solid performance all around. On top of her eight points, she also finished with six rebounds. Juliette Caughey would also finish with six boards, tying her for the team lead.
 
The middle quarters are where this one got away from Jessup. Trailing by just one possession through one, the Warriors were outscored 15-8 in the second period. Westmont doubled down on their attack out of the break, outscoring Jessup 24-7 in the third.
 
Jessup shot just 25.9-percent from the floor Thursday night, compared to a 45.9-percent showing from their counterparts. On top of their overall shooting woes, Jessup finished the night just 3-for-21 (14.3-percent) from beyond the arc.
 
Laster did comment after the game that he was pleased with Jessup's defensive effort. "Defensively, there's really good moments for us. You know, a team like this to be in the 60s, we had some chances to keep them under 60 as well if we didn't foul in some spots that we did."
 
Thursday was the first meeting between Jessup and Westmont since the 2019-20 season. The two sides were in separate divisions last season, and while both were in Lewiston, ID, for the NAIA Opening Round, their paths did not cross.
 
The GSAC remains one of the toughest conferences across the NAIA, as next up for Jessup comes another top-10 team in The Master's University. Currently No. 8 in the nation, TMU will enter Saturday with a perfect record of 17-0.
 
"It's always hard when you're on the road because practice is key," added Laster on needing improvements before Saturday. "This is going to be a challenging stretch for us. You know, especially without the players that we were missing, plus, who we're playing against. We just have to keep getting better."
 
Jessup will be in Santa Clarita for their noon tipoff. After that, the Warriors will return home for back-to-back home games.
   
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).