ROCKLIN, Calif. – On the heels of five wins in a row was the Warriors Thursday night, but their eyes were on a different streak as they welcomed No. 2 Arizona Christian to Rocklin. Looking to end a streak of 12 straight losses to the Firestorm, Jessup put on an epic battle that saw one streak die and another live on.
For the Warriors, unfortunately, the one that ends is their winning streak as ACU took the cake, 78-72.
Head coach
Lance Von Vogt spoke after the game, noting, "Credit to Arizona Christian, you know, they're a great team, and you have to be able to play a little bit cleaner basketball to beat them."
Jessup's mistakes were costly. The Warriors shot 61 percent from the charity stripe, and of their seven misses, three came on the front end of crucial one-and-one situations. Jessup also turned the ball over 16 times to ACU's ten.
"It was a good game. I thought it was good on good," added Von Vogt. "Both teams played exceptionally hard, gritty, tough, and it usually comes down to some little things as the difference of the game."
Thursday's game saw seven ties and 11 lead changes, but the one that ultimately stuck came with 7:47 remaining in regulation when Angelo Johnson's three put ACU ahead by two. Jessup never led from that point on as the Firestorm clung on to the narrow advantage.
The Warriors saw their largest lead of the night come in the first half when they led by six. ACU's largest lead of the night, coincidentally, was also six, which they reached with 13 seconds left in the contest.
Jessup was led in scoring by
Nigel McKay, who dropped 17 points. McKay was on fire from three, knocking down 5-of-8 to send the packed Warrior Arena crowd into a constant frenzy.
Also contributing was
Duke Gipson, playing for the first time since November 5. Gipson showed no signs of rust, scoring 11 points to pair with eight rebounds.
On Gipson's showing, Von Vogt added, "Duke's an exceptional talent, and it was nice to see him out there on the floor tonight, competing and playing hard. He's just scratching the surface of his ability. We expect big things of Duke in the future."
Jessup, now 9-6 within the conference, sit a game back of The Master's for the second seed in GSAC play. They will look to get back in the win column on Saturday when they welcome OUAZ to Horton Court.
"We have a one-day prep for Ottawa, who's one of the best teams in the country coming in on Saturday," added Von Vogt. "We're fighting for a bid to the GSAC Tournament and possibly a first-round bye if we can get back on track."
Saturday's game is scheduled for 2 p.m.
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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).
