RENO, Nev. – In one final tune-up before the GSAC begins on Thursday, the Warriors made the short drive east on I-80 for an exhibition with the Nevada Wolf Pack. On a homecoming night for one Warrior, Jessup exits their stacked preseason schedule with a 98-54 loss. 
 
Head coach Lance Von Vogt stated after the game that Tuesday's contest could be looked at as a learning experience. 
 
"One of our core tenants is adaptability," said Von Vogt. "And when you're playing a team as good as Nevada, as defensively sound and physical and strong, you have to be able to adapt your game to what you're able to do against this level of competition. And I thought tonight we struggled to adapt. So that it's a learning curve for us to be able to take the film, process what happened, and show our guys how they could have adapted better."
 
Jessup scored the first basket of the night, a layup from sophomore Myles Corey, but that would be the last lead of the night for the Warriors. Nevada followed Jessup's early bucket with an 11-3 run to take a commanding first-half lead. 
 
A 13-0 run by the Wolf Pack came later in the half, aided by three trips to the free throw line during the stretch. Jessup ended the run on a layup from Jayden DeJoseph. DeJoseph was playing in front of his hometown fans for the first time with the Warriors, as the Carson City native scored five first-half points. 
 
DeJoseph, a fifth-year wing, played inside Nevada's Lawlor Events Center two years ago, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the arena was empty. A loud roar from the Nevada faithful broke out when DeJoseph was announced last during the starting lineups.
 
"It's one of the reasons that we worked so hard to get this game on the schedule," added Von Vogt on DeJoseph's homecoming. "Jayden has been with us for a while. He's in grad school right now. And he's a little bit of a local legend from Carson. He won a state title when he was there. So for him to be able to come play in this arena, and for him to get that reception in front of this family and friends was pretty cool for me, and I know it was pretty cool for him."
 
DeJoseph ended the night scoring eight points on 3-of-5 shooting.
 
The Wolf Pack shot 41 percent from the floor in the opening 20 minutes, as opposed to a 23 percent showing from the Warriors. At the break, it was a 42-18 advantage for Nevada.
 
Jessup improved their offensive efforts in the second half, shooting 49-percent from the floor while knocking down 4-of-12 from three.
 
Jordan Adams knocked down two triples in the final 20 minutes, scoring six second-half points. Corey and Aashay Verma each scored five in the second half. Adams (11) and Corey (10) finished as the only two Warriors in double-figures.
 
The Wolf Pack was led by five players in double-digits. Jarod Lucas led all players with 19 points.
 
"We're gonna use this film as an opportunity for us to get better offensively, but also defensively," added Von Vogt. "I thought at times we did a really good job, and there were times where we completely fell apart. So, we're gonna take that film, and it's gonna be a great teaching tool."
 
The Warriors will hope to clean up their errors before Thursday, as they open the GSAC season Thursday night at San Diego Christian.
 
On starting conference play, Von Vogt added, "You never go into a game wanting to see a loss, but if you'd have asked me which of our games this week are the most important, I'd say  the two GSAC games because those are the ones that are going on our record. Those are the ones that matter for the GSAC Championship. And those are the ones that will help or hurt us earn a bid into the national tournament, which is what we're shooting for."
 
Thursday's GSAC opener is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Jessup will then take on Hope International on Saturday from Fullerton.  
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).