ROCKLIN, Calif. – There was no candy to give out inside Warrior Arena on Thursday night, but there was a victory, as the Warriors kicked off the 2024-25 season with a 20-point win against Pacific Union. In the first of two straight exhibitions to start the year, the Warriors will take the win as the season moves on to Stockton on Monday night.
Jessup was sparked by two players in double-figures on Thursday night as Jessup held on to beat the Pioneers 63-43. The Warriors connected on 41 percent from the field, as 18 of their 21 field goals came inside the three-point arc.
Freshman
Wyatt Studer, who is coming off a redshirt season last year, led the way with 13 points on 4-of-6 from the floor. Studer added four rebounds and two blocks as he totaled up 21 minutes of court time.
"For our first time out, my body was feeling good, and I came out ready to go with this being my first start as a college basketball player," said Studer after the game. "I was super excited."
On coming into the fold after a redshirt year, Studer added, "Being around coach Darnall and being able to learn the system and grow in that system, it's a fun system to score and find my teammates for their opportunities. They find ways to get me open, too."
Cayden McDaniel finished behind Studer with 11 points, also on 4-of-6 from the floor. McDaniel is also in his first year of eligibility after a redshirt season in 2023.
Jessup built their advantage in the first half thanks to a 26-3 run that pushed the Jessup lead up to 35-13. The Warriors shot over 50 percent from the floor in the first half, while they also added a 13-for-16 showing at the charity stripe.
At the intermission, the Warriors held a comfortable 20-point lead.
The second half was much more even, as the two sides put up 25 points apiece. PUC followed up a 25 percent shooting performance in the opening half with a 31 percent showing in the final 20 minutes, and the Warriors regressed from their lights-out opener to a 33 percent showing to end the night.
PUC was led by D'montay Warner, who dropped 14 points to pair with five steals.
The Jessup scoring was widespread throughout the 40-minute contest. On top of Studer and McDaniel's strong nights, Jessup also saw production from
Curro Segura (9 PTS),
Anthony Enoh (8 PTS), and
Aydan Janssan (7 PTS).
"For how good the win feels, it wasn't a perfect game," added Studer. "We still have a lot of things to work on. It's only our first game. There's still a lot of things we can finetune."
Thursday's outcome does not count towards the Warriors' official record, as the game was listed as an exhibition. Jessup will not play an official game until November 8, when Multnomah comes to town for Hoops for Heroes night.
The Warriors will be back in action on Monday when they visit the University of the Pacific in Stockton for another exhibition. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
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Jessup University is a provisional member of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division II and the PacWest Conference. 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 (Instagram & X).
