ROCKLIN, Calif. – For some, Saturday's thrilling victory over OUAZ could be seen as a vindication moment, but for the Warriors, it was simply a needed win in the chase for postseason basketball. In a game that went down to the wire, Jessup escaped with an 89-87 victory.
Jessup and OUAZ are no strangers to one another. The two battled down in Fullerton last season for the GSAC Championship, a game OUAZ won on a close call at the buzzer.
On the significance of this win, head coach
Lance Von Vogt stated, "We left last year at last year. Ottawa played a great game and went down to the wire for the GSAC Championship, and give credit to them. They earned it. This is a different group of guys, and we went out there today with one singular purpose, which was to play hard, play smart, play together, have fun, and win the game."
That's what the Warriors did. Leading by five in the final seconds, a prayer was answered for OUAZ as a near half-court shot went in. Less than one second remained on the clock, and to continue the drama, the Spirit stole the inbound attempt but could not get off an equalizer before the horn.
Jessup, who improves to 10-6 within the GSAC, sits a half-game behind The Master's for the two seed in the GSAC Tournament. TMU will play Vanguard this evening.
Saturday was a special day for Jessup as it was Senior Day. Before tip-off, Jessup honored their four graduating seniors:
Cashemin Williams,
Jordan Adams,
Jayden DeJoseph, and
David McCants. All four were also featured in the starting lineup for the home finale.
On the importance of winning on senior day, Von Vogt added, "We have a great group of seniors every year, and this year is no different. You always want to send them off with the win so that their last memory of playing inside of Warrior Arena is one that they can look back on fondly. So, this game does take on extra meaning, and I couldn't be happier that those guys get a chance to look back on this night and know that we gave it our best. And we were able to come out on top against one of the better teams in the country."
Leading the scoring in his final game on Horton Court was Williams, as the All-American guard dropped 34 points on 11-of-17 from the floor, paired with six rebounds.
Adams closed out his home career with a stellar performance as well, scoring 21 points on 4-of-8 from beyond the arc. He also brought down five rebounds.
Jessup shot 50 percent from the floor as opposed to a 43 percent showing from their counterparts. OUAZ won the rebounding battle. 37-32.
The Warriors now shift their focus to the road, as from this point on, each game will take place away from Warrior Arena. Von Vogt offered his thoughts on that.
"We're going to approach each game the same way that we have all year long. It's a model that we've been using for years, and we're not going to change it or adjust it. We're going to prepare like the next game on our schedule is the most important game of the season. And so that means that The Master's has become the most important game of the season for us."
That game will be very important, as a possible first-round bye in the postseason could be on the line. Jessup will be in Santa Clarita to square off with TMU Thursday.
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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).
