SANTA CLARITA, Calif. – The penultimate contest of the 2023-24 regular season tipped off on Thursday night, as the Warriors battled The Master's with positioning in the GSAC Tournament on the line. A strong third quarter put Jessup in a position to win, but TMU responded with a dominating fourth as they took the game 59-45.
Jessup drops to 8-5 in GSAC action with the loss, placing them alone in fourth place. The Warriors have secured their spot in the conference tournament, as the top six teams will battle for an automatic bid in the national tournament next week in Atherton.
The 2024 GSAC Women's Basketball Tournament begins on February 29 from the campus of Menlo College. If the tournament began tomorrow, Jessup would be squaring off with Arizona Christian in the first round.
Makaila Napoleon, five days removed from being honored as part of Jessup's Senior Night festivities, led the Warriors in scoring with 14 points. Napoleon paired that with seven boards and two steals in her 23 minutes of action.
Kayla Vieira (9) and
Natalie Moulos (8) were next up in the scoring column.
Thursday saw Jessup get off to a slow start, as the Warriors posted just six points in the opening period. Jessup bounced back in the second to outscore TMU 13-8, sending the game into halftime with the Mustangs leading by four.
Out of the locker room, Jessup put together their best quarter of basketball as the Warriors posted 15 points in the third. Jessup jumped out to a 10-3 run, capped off with a Napoleon three from the wing that gave the Warriors their first lead of the night at 29-26.
At the end of the third, Jessup trailed by just two.
The momentum that was the third quarter failed to carry over into the fourth, as TMU produced a 9-1 run to push their lead to eight. The Warriors were unable to get within five points the rest of the way, as a 43 percent showing by the Mustangs in the fourth carried them to a win.
TMU improves their GSAC record to 9-4 with the win, as they came into Thursday tied with Jessup. The Mustangs also complete a regular season sweep of Jessup.
Now the Warriors are on to the finale of the GSAC regular season, as on Saturday, Jessup will be in San Dimas to take on Life Pacific. The final contest of the season is scheduled for noon.
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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).
