ROCKLIN, Calif. – To win their third in a row, the Warriors would need to beat one of the nation's best, as the No. 12 ranked Vanguard Lions came to town. In an epic battle down to the final seconds, Jessup blocked Vanguard's tying chance, as the Warriors won again, this time by the final of 51-48.
 
Head coach Corey Laster added after the game that while it's good to win three in a row, there is still room for improvement. "I still think there's always growth, for sure. These last three games, I got a grey eyebrow hair. So they definitely have been stressful in some ways, but we have a lot of learning to do, and obviously, if you can win and learn at the same time, that's always good."
 
During this three-game stretch, which saw wins over Simpson and Oregon Tech to start, Jessup has won by a total margin of just nine points.
 
It was an all-around effort in the box score, with three Warriors closing in double-figures. Leading the way was Andrea Jovicevic with 14. Makaila Napoleon added 13, while Maila Lepolo scored ten.
 
Happy with the overall contribution, Laster said, "I thought it was a good, no great, team win."
 
After trailing for the majority of the game, Jessup took the lead late as Makaila Glynn converted a three-point play with 1:22 on the clock, putting her side ahead by one. Jessup would push the lead to three on a pair of Lepolo free throws, but with nine seconds remaining, the Lions had enough time to set up a play.
 
Vanguard got the ball into the hands of Lauren Baumgartner, their leading scorer with 13. Her three at the buzzer was sent packing as Napoleon swatted it to the ground, clinching the win.
 
Laster loved what he saw out of Glynn, who scored seven points to pair with a pair of rebounds.
 
"Makaila, how about her?" said Laster. "She's really improved from her freshman year to sophomore year. She's added muscle and strength, which I think allows her to guard better, and then just made some huge plays for us. Those baseline jump shots she hit were huge. And then how about the play at the end where she gets the and one? So great growth for her."
 
Jessup shot 30 percent from three Thursday night. The Warriors started the night 5-of-16 beyond the arc but closed out the game only attempting ten in the second half. Laster noted that this was a halftime adjustment.
 
"I thought we took a lot of threes the first half," said Laster. "But then it paid big dividends by getting the ball inside and we saw better looks and easier scores."
 
The victory is just Jessup's third all-time against Vanguard, but it does push Jessup to a two-game win streak over the Lions. Vanguard leads the all-time series 16-3.
 
Jessup will go for four in a row when they take on Life Pacific Saturday at noon.  
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).