DAVIS, Calif. – It was a homecoming for head coach
Mark Darnall as his Warriors visited UC Davis on Monday for an exhibition contest. Taking on one of his coaching mentors in Davis' Jim Les, the Warriors started fast, but ultimately, a tough Davis defense proved to be too much in an 86-51 loss.
The contest, an exhibition, does not count against the Warriors' 2-1 record. They will remain at that mark going into Wednesday's matchup against Cal Maritime.
It was a hot start indeed for the Warriors on Monday as early on, they led 10-5 on a
Ja'Maris Blackmon triple. The first-half advantage only grew as Jessup found themselves leading 22-14, forcing Les to burn a timeout after a
Duke Gipson block led to an
Aydan Janssan layup in transition.
Ultimately, it would be a number of self-inflicted wounds, coupled with a stout Aggie defense, that led to the Warriors trailing 36-30 at the break. The Warriors committed 19 opening-half turnovers, which allowed the Aggies to close the first half on a 13-2 run.
On the turnovers, Darnall added, "Yeah, the turnovers hurt us a lot from their press. We didn't have any scout on them even though I used to work for them. I don't know everything about them, and so I have to be able to help our guys with that press break sooner."
The Aggie momentum carried into the second half, as their defense held the Warriors to just five points over the first 14:27 of the second half. That span saw the Aggies go on an incredible 33-3 run, which came to an end after
Troy Crighton knocked down a free throw, followed by an
Emmett Holt triple on the next possession.
Janssan ended up leading the Warriors in scoring with ten points. Blackmon dropped eight to pair with three assists. Gipson led the squad in rebounding with six.
Darnall, a former UC Davis assistant coach, was making his second appearance at the University Credit Union Center as a visitor. Eastern Washington, Darnall's previous stop, took on the Aggies in Davis two years ago.
On what was said between him and Les, Darnall noted, "It was fun competing against him tonight. I know he's always in my corner, and I'm obviously in his. Appreciate the opportunity to be here tonight and have a chance to compete."
The Warriors will return to their regular schedule on Wednesday when they visit Cal Maritime for an official competition scheduled for 6 p.m. Jessup will then be back home on Saturday for a 2 p.m. tip against Oregon Tech.
Darnall closed by stating while tonight could hurt, the bigger picture is Wednesday night. "After our wins we flush it at midnight. It's the same thing after the losses. We flush it at midnight. We will look at the film and find ways we can get better."
Tickets for Saturday's contest, the second Hoops for Heroes game, are currently on sale
HERE. Fans will have an option to purchase VIP packages and make a donation to U.S. Military Veterans, at checkout.
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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).
