KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – An offseason of hype is finally over as the No. 6 ranked Warriors began a new season on Danny Miles Court in Klamath Falls. In a rematch from last season's NAIA Opening Round Championship, Jessup looked to make it four wins in a row against the No. 22 ranked Oregon Tech Hustlin' Owls.
 
With a raucous crowd ready to start the season, the home fans went home happy as Jessup struggled on both ends of the floor, falling to 0-1 with a 95-76 loss.
 
"They played an absolutely great game," head coach Lance Von Vogt said of his opponent after the game. "I believe in our guys. We didn't have our best night tonight, but I really believe that Oregon Tech came out and enforced their will against us and kicked our butt."
 
Jessup was led by returning All-American Cashemin Williams, who scored 16 of his 23 points in the second half. Von Vogt spoke of Williams' early production, adding, "Cash is the type of guy that is going to have his opportunities, and, you know, he's gonna find stuff within our offense. We're not going to adjust what we do based off of his performance in the first half. He's a gamer. He'll have a better night tomorrow."
 
Guard Myles Corey was right behind his fellow All-American teammate, dropping 17 in the season opener. He paired it was a team-leading eight boards.
 
Saturday's first half was a back-and-forth affair, with the hosting Owls leading on the scoreboard up until a Jordan Adams floater with 4:02 to play. The Adams basket gave Jessup a 31-30 advantage, but the lead was very short-lived as OIT embarked on an 11-4 run to end the half.
 
An issue that plagued the Warriors early in Saturday's game was foul trouble. Two starters, Williams and freshman Duke Gipson found themselves in foul trouble and on the bench, forcing the Warriors to rely heavily on bench production.
 
"Foul trouble is something that you have to learn how to navigate as the season progresses," said Von Vogt. "Tonight was an opportunity to learn how to navigate it. We didn't do it particularly well tonight. And I believe that this will be something that's going to play dividends down the road."
 
One player from the Jessup bench who took advantage of his minutes was Ty Artis, who dropped a career-high 13 points on 5-of-7 from the floor.
 
Oregon Tech kept their foot on the gas out of the locker room, pushing the lead up to 11 on four occasions in the first three minutes. With every Jessup basket followed one by the Owls, leading to a 14-point lead and a Jessup timeout with 14:33 to go.
 
Jessup's best chance at a comeback came at the eight-minute mark when a flagrant foul sent Williams to the line for two, which he connected on, and gave the Warriors the ball. Corey then converted a layup, drawing a foul to send him to the line. He missed the three-point play opportunity that would have put Jessup within seven.
 
The Owls bounced back to push the lead to double-digits for the remainder of the contest.
 
The Warriors have a chance to get the bad taste of defeat out of their mouths right away as they take the court tomorrow night in Redding. Game time against Simpson is set for 5 p.m.
 
When asked if it's a good thing to play again so soon, Von Vogt joked, "I'll tell you tomorrow night after we get done playing."
 
"I don't know yet. We have 12 new guys on our roster, and we're still figuring each other out. And tonight, you know, we didn't do a good job of being able to play the way that we normally play. It will come. I don't know if it'll be tomorrow night or be in two weeks, you know, but we're not going to stop working until we get everybody on the same page."
 
Jessup will be home for the first time on Friday, November 4, for Hoops for Heroes night against UC Merced.  
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).