ROCKLIN, Calif. – With the regular season nearing closer to the end than the beginning, the Warriors welcomed Vanguard to Warrior Arena as the final push for the postseason heated up. Trailing late, the Warriors had to fight to secure the win, and fight they did as they pulled off a sweep of the Lions behind a 76-73 final.
At 7-4 in conference action, the Warriors remain in a jam-packed tie for second place with two other teams. The Master's sit in first at 8-3, while Arizona Christian and OUAZ join the Warriors at 7-4.
Aydan Janssan led the Warriors on the offensive end, as the Australian dropped 21 points in his 30 minutes of game action. Janssan also racked up six boards, as he now averages 7.7 per contest.
Myles Corey, who became the Warriors' all-time leading scorer the last time Jessup took on Vanguard, added 17 on 5-for-8 from distance.
Xavier Lovelace also closed the day in double figures with his ten-point, nine-rebound showing.
The Warriors were down late in this one, as with 90 seconds left, Vanguard led by four. But then a late spark struck as a Lovelace steal set up a Janssan triple, cutting the deficit to one.
Ty Artis then scored after a steal of his own to put Jessup on top, and the icing on the cake came off a
Ja'Maris Blackmon dunk with just seconds on the clock.
Vanguard led by as many as six, with that advantage coming with 6:01 remaining in the game.
But the Warriors were not always playing from behind, in fact, Jessup's largest lead of the day was 16 points, as they got off to a fast start to earn that advantage. The Warriors had a 27-11 lead with 8:37 to go in the first, but at the intermission, Vanguard had cut it to seven.
The Lions were led by Jackson Larsen, who scored 24 points. Anthony Tello added 17.
Jessup shot 52 percent from the field on Saturday, adding a 9-for-17 showing from distance. The Lions connected on just one of their nine three-point attempts while shooting 45 percent as a team.
Now, the Warriors shift their focus to the final home game of the season as they welcome Menlo College to town. That contest will be Jessup's annual Senior Night, as a pregame ceremony will see the graduating members of the Warriors honored with an on-court ceremony.
That matchup with Menlo, starting at 7:30 p.m., is scheduled for Saturday, February 17.
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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).
