ROCKLIN, Calif. — Horton Court welcomed fans on a Saturday afternoon game day to open PacWest conference play against the Warriors of Westmont College. Excitement washed over the home crowd as Jessup won in buzzer-beater fashion, defeating Westmont 63-62.

This marks the first conference game in DII PacWest play, which makes them 1-0 in conference and 4-3 overall.
 
 
Jessup began the week with a Monday night loss against California Maritime Academy, final score of 80-69 in favor of the Kellhaulers. Head coach Mark Darnall and his team were eager to make the necessary adjustments to find victory in the conference matchup opener.

"I'm super proud of the group as a whole. We know we underperformed in the last game, but we were able to execute the game plan and win today. The staff did a great job with the scout, and the guys applied for it. We played harder and smarter as a whole," said coach Darnall.

Ja'Maris Blackmon led the Warriors in scoring, tallying 23 points on the night and finishing 4-for-4 from the free-throw line. As a group, Jessup went 17-for-20, 85% overall from the free-throw line.

Jessup was up early in the contest, going into halftime with a 33-25 lead. Adrian McIntyre of Westmont had 28 points on the night to reap the game head-to-head. With just 6 seconds left of the game, Westmont led Jessup 62-61.

With 1 second left in the game, Cayden McDaniel completed the push with a buzzer-beater jumper shot from inside the paint to secure the win in the Warriors' battle.

"The guys executed the game plan and positioned themselves to win. A buzzer beater for Cayden McDaniel, that's something he will always remember and a great experience to take with him," continued Darnall.

The Warriors will return on home court on December 14th to take on Dominican University of California with a 2:00 pm tip-off.
  

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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).