PHOENIX, Ariz. – Following their overtime victory yesterday, the Warriors were back in action on Thursday for day two of the Cactus Classic. Taking on the Orediggers of Montana Tech, Jessup again found themselves in a first-quarter hole but were able to claw out as they earned a 48-40 win.
Jessup, now 11-1 on the year, improves their win streak to seven games.
Thursday was the third all-time meeting of the Warriors and Orediggers and the first since November of 2021. Jessup came into Thursday 0-2 against their counterparts from Butte, who had an average margin of victory of 11 points in the series.
Things did not look good early in this one, as similar to Wednesday, Jessup got into an early rut as Montana Tech opened to an 8-0 lead. The eight-point advantage would be the Orediggers' largest of the night, as Jessup scored seven unanswered to draw within one, capped off with a
Maila Lepolo three.
At the end of one, Jessup trailed 13-7.
The Warriors got within one again in the second quarter, thanks to a
Kayla Vieira layup, but they would not take the lead. Montana Tech held a six-point advantage heading into the final seconds of the half before Jessup's
Maddy Meadows knocked down a triple to send the game into the intermission at 23-20.
Meadows provided a spark from beyond the arc as she added two more threes in the third. The first gave Jessup a 27-25 lead, and the second added some insurance as it pushed Jessup's lead to 30-25.
The senior guard closed the game with ten points, as Jessup would not trail again after her third-quarter run.
Makaila Napoleon also added ten points, while Vieira contributed eight.
The Warriors will be on the court once again tomorrow as they play for the third time in three days. On the schedule for the finale of the Cactus Classic is Montana State-Northern, with game time set for 9 a.m. (PST).
Jessup will then close out 2023 in Redding when they square off with Simpson on December 30.
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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).
