ATHERTON, Calif. – For the final time in program history, Jessup took the court with sights on capturing a GSAC Championship as the conference tournament got underway in Atherton. Drawing Arizona Christian for their quarterfinal matchup, Jessup could not hang on to an early lead as the Firestorm advance with a 70-59 victory.
The Warriors are now 22-7 on the year, as they will wait to see if their season extends when the NAIA reveals the 2024 bracket next week.
Head coach
Corey Laster said after the game that the message to his team was to continue preparing as if there will be another game ahead of them. "They understand where we are. We know there is an opportunity to go to the NAIA Tournament. Obviously, a loss this early in the tournament can affect our seeding, but we were pretty honest with the team and let them know the kind of faith we have in them."
Andrea Jovicevic led the Warriors with 17 points in the loss, doing so on 6 of 18 from the floor. Jovicevic connected on just 3 of 11 from three, but those all came in the fourth quarter as Jessup cut within four of the Firestorm.
Jessup's lack of success from three was something Laster pointed out in his postgame press conference, as the Warriors finished 7 for 30 (23 percent) from distance.
"We shot 30 threes," said Laster. "We don't usually take 30 threes. I thought we looked like a bunch of individuals out there. It's not that we weren't trying. It's just one of those deals where the ball wasn't moving. We were stagnant offensively, and that helped (ACU) by not moving the basketball."
The Warriors finished the game with just eight assists.
Early on, the Warriors looked to be controlling the momentum, with their work on the glass playing a key role. Jessup pulled down 17 rebounds in the first quarter, six coming on the offensive end, as they led 20-10 through one. But the final totals showed Jessup losing the rebound battle 48-45 as they conceded 18 offensive rebounds that turned into 14 second-chance points for the Firestorm.
Laster touched on that, adding, "I thought their boarding was better than us. For us to get outrebounded, it shows our effort. I just thought we came out a step slow after the first quarter."
Natalie Moulos contributed 14 in the loss, while
Kayla Vieira scored ten. ACU was led by five players in double-figures.
Thursday's loss wraps up an era of women's basketball at Jessup, as with the university transitioning to NCAA Division II next year, Thursday was the final GSAC game in program history.
Now, the Warriors have to wait and see if their name will be called as one of 64 teams in the 2024 NAIA Women's Basketball National Tournament. The NAIA will reveal those teams during their selection show on March 7.
The selection show will be streamed on the NAIA's YouTube and Facebook pages.
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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).
