ROCKLIN, Calif. – On a night centered around more than basketball, the Warriors welcomed the Multnomah Campus of Jessup University to Rocklin for the third annual Hoops for Heroes game. The game lived up to expectations, as in the final seconds, Jessup held on to claim a 59-58 victory.
It was one of the most exciting finishes in Warrior Arena history, as Multnomah went to the free throw line down two with 18 seconds to go. One made free throw cut the deficit in half, and after a miss on the second, chaos ensued.
Multnomah fired off five shots in the final 15 seconds of the game, none of which found the bottom of the basket, as the Warriors held on at the end to get the win.
The late scrum was set up by a run from Multnomah, as Jessup led by seven with 4:15 remaining in the contest. An
Aydan Janssan basket ended up being the final points for the Warriors, as Multnomah held the Warriors without a point in the final four minutes of regulation.
Janssan ended the evening as Jessup's leading scorer. His 23 points came on a 9-for-14 performance from the field, paired with a perfect 4-for-4 showing at the charity stripe. Janssan also finished the evening with seven boards.
"I'm just trying my best to be there for all the boys and do what was needed to be done, and I got it done," said Janssan in his postgame interview.
Ja'Maris Blackmon contributed 11, and
Troy Crighton came off the bench for ten.
The win on Friday was a redemption victory for the Warriors, as Jessup dropped their matchup with Multnomah last season in Portland. Friday was the Lions' first trip to Warrior Arena.
Marje Windfield led the way for Multnomah with 25 points, 18 of them coming off a 6-for-12 performance from three-point range. Kellan Torkornoo also finished in double-digits with 14.
"We knew they were a very good team," added Janssan on Multnomah. "They were excellent, very strong on the offensive boards. They're a very strong and talented team."
Jessup, who is now officially 1-0 on the season after starting with two exhibitions, gets a week off before returning to the court. The Warriors will be back in action on November 15 when Simpson comes to town to begin week two of the Holtz Classic.
The Holtz Classic will then wrap up the following day with a matchup against UC Merced.
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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).
