ROCKLIN, Calif. – On a Veteran's Day afternoon filled with moments of thanks for the brave men and women who served this country, a rivalry was renewed as Jessup welcomed Oregon Tech to Horton Court. In true fashion of this rivalry, the game went down to the closing seconds as the Owls squeaked out a 78-72 victory.
The Warriors, who have now played five games in fine days, fall to 3-2 with the loss.
"I'm really impressed with their team," said coach
Mark Darnall on his opponent. "We got off to a slow start at Maritime, and we got off to a slow start here again. We've been hit-and-miss with it. We've also had some fast starts…We just always have to be ready and find ways to compete right off the jump.
The slow start Darnall is referring to was a 9-0 Oregon Tech run that forced the Warriors to burn an early timeout. But the Warriors responded, battling to draw within three after a three-point play from
Duke Gipson.
Gipson had a strong night in his 19 minutes, scoring eight points to pair with four boards and a block.
"Duke gave us big minutes off the bench," added Darnall. "He's able to score inside. I like his aggression, and he's just getting better every day. We have to keep getting better every day."
Another player that Darnall was impressed with on Saturday was
Aydan Janssan. Janssan ate up minutes as he was on the court for 38 of them in the loss. During that time, he dropped 15 points to go with a six-rebound showing.
On Janssan, Darnall added, "I had to play him too much tonight. I couldn't find ways to take him out because he was playing too good."
The Owls took a six-point break into the locker room, but much like their second-half charge at Maritime, the Warriors again came out swinging from the locker room. A
Nigel McKay layup drew the Warrior within one, but with a chance to tie the game at the line, McKay missed the conversion.
Jessup would eventually even the score and take a one-point lead on a pair of Janssan free throws.
The final minutes of Saturday's action saw the lead flip back and forth until a 6-0 run from Tech put them ahead by eight with 3:26 to go. Jessup got within three with 1:28 on the clock, but a comeback would not come as the Owls went home with the win.
Myles Corey led the way offensively, dropping a game-leading 21 points on 7-of-18 from the floor.
Saturday's game was the second Hoops for Heroes game. The day began with a special presentation on Horton Court with color guard and retired military personnel on hand. The pregame ceremony included the building of a battle cross, and the festivities extended with a special presentation at halftime. The Warriors thank all who were on hand who served this nation.
The Warriors will be back on their home court on Tuesday when they take on the Red Hawks of Simpson University. This will be the Warriors' final home game until November 25, and tickets are on sale
HERE.
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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).
