ROCKLIN, Calif.– After a five-day hiatus, the Jessup women's basketball team was back on the floor Thursday night for its final two-game homestand of the season. First up was the sixth-ranked Master's University Mustangs in a battle between two top-five GSAC teams. 
 
The Warriors battled, but in the end, the Mustangs prevailed with a 61-46 victory.
 
Jessup struggled on the offensive end, shooting just 17-of-63 from the field and 5-of-24 from deep. The offensive struggles were highlighted in the second quarter when the Warriors made just two shots out of 17 attempts. The Masters led at the half 33-22.
 
"We saw some good looks, but that second quarter, really, we struggled to get good shots. We just weren't making good decisions shooting the ball," said head coach Corey Laster. "I thought our spacing was not great. Our team thrives if you're making shots, that's key for us. I thought the difference was their ability to make shots compared to us." 
 
The Warriors improved in the third, cutting the deficit down to six points thanks to a combined ten points by Cheyanne Jankulovski and Jacklyn Kulow. The Mustangs picked things up, however, bringing the lead back up to 11 and taking a 50-39 lead into the final quarter.
 
The Master's defense stood tall in the fourth, holding Jessup to 20 percent shooting and hanging on for a 61-46 victory.
 
Jessup's defense had one of its strongest performances of the night, forcing 25 turnovers in the contest. Jankulovski led the Warriors with four steals, while Kulow, JoeLyn Stirton, Maila Lepolo, Makaila Glynn, Natalie Moulos each recorded two. 
 
"The second half was better. I mean, defense is a key for us. We got to play D in order to be in games. I think we're averaging 57 points a game or something like that, so we have got to be able to bring teams down," said Laster. 
 
Kayla Vieira was the leading scorer for the Warriors with 11, while Jankulovski added ten. Jankulovski had five assists in the contest as well, along with Lepolo.
 
The road doesn't get any easier for Jessup (14-15) as the Warriors welcome defending conference and national champions No. 3 Westmont (22-3) into town for the regular-season finale on Saturday. Tip-off is scheduled for noon.
 
"Westmont is even better than what we saw tonight. They do a lot of good things. I think we've got to score the ball. That's always the key for us. They're the best team in our league for a reason, you know, defending national champions for a reason. We've got our hands full heading into the GSAC tournament." Laster added.  
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).