PHOENIX, Ariz. – Playing for the third time in three days, the Warriors were back in action Friday morning as the Cactus Classic wrapped up in Phoenix. Looking for an Arizona sweep, Jessup had to fight off a late comeback, but they were able to hold on for the 65-61 victory over Montana State-Northern.
Jessup improves their record to 12-1, the best start to a season in program history. Friday's win also makes it eight straight for the Warriors heading into their final contest of 2023.
The Warriors were led in scoring by the duo of
Makaila Napoleon and
Natalie Moulos, as the duo each dropped 16 points in the win. Moulos saw the bulk of her scoring come from beyond the arc, as she was 4-of-7 from three. Napoleon made her living at the charity stripe as she finished 7-of-12 on free throws.
As a team, Jessup shot 69 percent from the line and knocked down 7-of-18 from distance.
Unlike Jessup's first two games in Arizona, there was no first-quarter hole for the Warriors to climb out of. Jessup led by two at the conclusion of the first quarter and pushed their lead up to six at the intermission. The third quarter even saw Jessup outscore their opponents 20-13, giving them a nice 13-point cushion entering the fourth.
But then came the comeback by the Northern Lights.
An 11-2 run by MSUN to start the fourth quarter turned what was a comfortable lead into just a four-point advantage. Jessup's lead reached as little as three, coming off an MSUN layup with 3:18 remaining in regulation.
To gain some cushion, Jessup connected on one of Moulos' four triples with 3:01 to go, putting the Warriors ahead by six. Jessup got the lead up to seven late in the period thanks to a 2-for-2 trip at the line for
Neomi Davidson, as the Warriors successfully fought off the comeback to gain another win.
Others contributing to the victory included
Kayla Vieira, who scored ten points, and Davidson, who added nine. Davidson and
Makaila Glynn led the rebounding efforts with five each.
Jessup has gone over a month since their only loss of the season, a 76-70 decision against Bushnell on November 17. Since that loss, the Warriors are outscoring opponents by 113 points (14.13 PPG).
The Warriors will wrap up 2023 on December 30 as they visit Simpson University in Redding for a 2 p.m. tip. That will be the final non-conference matchup of the regular season for Jessup, as GSAC basketball is set to begin inside Warrior Arena on January 4.
Tickets for all of Jessup's home GSAC games 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).
