ROCKLIN, Calif. – It was Senior Night on Horton Court, as the Warriors welcomed the Menlo Oaks to town for the final home game of the regular season. Backed by dominating quarters to bookend the game, the Warriors sent off their two seniors with a record-breaking performance.
Jessup honored two seniors in pregame as part of the annual senior ceremony. Those Warriors playing their final regular season game on Horton Court were
Maila Lepolo and
Makaila Napoleon.
Lepolo, playing in front of a crowd filled with friends and family, dropped 11 points in her 37 minutes of action. Lepolo knocked down one three while adding 4-for-8 from inside the arc.
"I think we all did our part, and we played our role and got the job done," said Lepolo after the game. "That's all that matters."
The win is the 21st of the season for the Warriors, setting a new program record.
Jessup pieced together dominant first and fourth quarters in Saturday's action, starting with a 19-11 lead to end the first quarter. The Warriors shot 46 percent from the floor in the first ten minutes, as they entered the second leading by eight.
Following the hot start came a frigid second quarter, as the Warriors posted just six points, allowing Menlo to claw within one at the break. Menlo continued to outscore the Warriors into the third as they took a two-point lead into the final period.
The fourth quarter would see the Warriors return to their dominating play as Jessup combated Menlo's full-court press with another 46 percent performance from the field. The Warriors got back-to-back threes from
Brianna Byrnes during their fourth-quarter run, as they stole back momentum and eventually secured the win.
On bouncing back after the second and third quarters, Lepolo added, "Our coach told us to ride the wave, and that's what we did. We just focused on our defense."
Kayla Vieira led the Warriors in scoring on Saturday as she posted 14 on 6-of-10 shooting.
Neomi Davidson led the rebound margin as she pulled down 11 boards to pair with eight points.
The Warriors are now 8-4 on the season in GSAC play, putting them in a tie for third with the next team on their schedule, The Master's. Vanguard leads the GSAC at 10-2, while Menlo moves to second at 9-3.
Jessup will be in Santa Clarita to play the Mustangs on Thursday, followed by a trip to Life Pacific in one week to wrap up the regular season.
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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).
