ROCKLIN, Calif. – A new era of Jessup Basketball is underway as first-year head coach
Mark Darnall led his squad onto the court for the first time on Saturday. With opening-day rust showing, Jessup got off on the wrong foot as they fell to SAGU, 61-49.
Darnall offered his first postgame comments as a head coach following the loss, noting, "We're installing a new system, and we have a long way to go. But I'm pleased with what we did on the defensive end. That's going to continue to be a message of mine. But we struggled on the offensive side, and as a staff, we have to find ways to get better and improve."
The Warriors held SAGU to a 3-of-12 showing from beyond the arc, but SAGU made the most of their chances, scoring 16 second-chance points and 23 points off of 19 Jessup turnovers.
Jessup shot 35 percent from the floor in their season opener, including a 2-of-10 showing from three.
Myles Corey, now in his fourth season in Rocklin, led the Warriors with 13 points in his 37 minutes of action. Newcomer
Anthony Enoh came off the bench with 11 points, two coming off a monstrous dunk in transition.
SAGU led by as many as 18 in the second half, but a Jessup comeback was in the works as the Warriors cut the deficit to eight with 2:24 remaining. SAGU responded by knocking down a jumper to push the lead back to double digits, ending the Warriors' hopes of a comeback on Horton Court.
Darnall offered praise to his opponents, adding, "They have some talent, and they're working to get into the GSAC and the NAIA. I've known their coach, Scott Mossman, for a long time, and he's doing a really good job of getting his guys to play together. They're a year older and more experienced."
Saturday's loss starts the Darnall era off to an 0-1 start, but the Warriors will have two more chances to get their coach his first victory when they return to action in a week.
When asked how it felt to be a head coach for the first time, Darnall added, "It felt good. I enjoyed my first experience. Obviously, I hate losing, but I know we'll get there. It was a cool moment for me, and hopefully, there will be many more."
Darnall and the Warriors will return to the court on Friday when they host Montana State-Northern for the opening of the 17th annual Bill Holtz Warrior Classic and ALS Awareness Night. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
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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 Jessup University. Follow Jessup Athletics on social media: Jessup University Athletics (Facebook) and @JessupAthletics (Twitter & Instagram).
