CALDWELL, Idaho. – The start of the 2024 NAIA National Tournament is just 24 hours from getting underway, and when the Warriors step on the court, they will be one of two sides looking to make history. Friday's matchup with No. 3 ranked College of Idaho will see one team end their season and another move one game away from Kansas City.
 
Jessup and COI will tip off from the J.A. Albertson Activities Center in Caldwell, Idaho, at 6 p.m. (PST). The game will follow the matchup of Carroll and Cornerstone, which begins at 4 p.m. (PST).
 
The winner of the game will advance to the NAIA Opening Round Championship, which is scheduled for Saturday night at 6 p.m. The last team standing in Idaho will cut down the nets and pack their bags for a trip to the Municipal Auditorium in downtown Kansas City.
 
For the Warriors to make it to KC for a fourth time, they will need to first knock off the defending NAIA National Champions.
 
COI, the top seed in the Liston Quadrant, comes into Friday night with an overall record of 28-3. They claimed the Cascade Collegiate Conference regular season championship but were upset in the conference tournament when Oregon Tech beat them 79-76 in the championship to clinch an automatic bid into the national tournament.
 
It will be the first meeting of the Yotes and Warriors since January 2021, when the two schools split back-to-back games in Caldwell.
 
COI's 2023-24 schedule featured 12 games against common opponents on Jessup's schedule this season. The Yotes went 9-3 in those games.
 
Two of the common opponents both the Yotes and Warriors faced off with this season were from the GSAC: Hope International and Vanguard. Jessup swept Vanguard this year but lost both games to HIU. COI lost their meeting with Vanguard, 94-67, and then beat HIU a week later.
 
Other common opponents were from the CCC, as Jessup took on Multnomah (0-1), Oregon Tech (0-1), Southern Oregon (2-0), and Warner Pacific (1-0).
 
The Yotes come into the tournament averaging 87.7 PPG this season and are outscoring opponents by 23.3 PPG. They average .485 from the floor and connect on 10.1 threes per game. The rebound battle has also been something the Yotes succeed in, as they outrebound opponents by an average of 12.3 RPG. Four players for COI come into the tournament averaging double-figures, with Samaje Morgan leading the way at 14.1 PPG.
 
On the other hand, Jessup, led by first-year head coach Mark Darnall, come into the weekend averaging 80.5 PPG and posting a shooting percentage of .474. The Warriors connect on 9.3 threes per contest and have been aggressive on the defensive end, with an average of 7.6 steals per game. All-GSAC guards Ty Artis (18.0) and Myles Corey (17.3) lead the scoring efforts.
 
Cornerstone enters the tournament with a 24-7 record and average 87.1 PPG. Carroll, 19-11 on the year, averages 80.4 PPG.
 
A Jessup win on Friday would make NAIA History, as no 16-seed has ever won a national tournament game. The NAIA adopted a 64-team field in 2021 but did not introduce traditional 1-16 seeds until 2022. COI was the top overall seed in the tournament last season, resulting in them winning the NAIA National Championship.
 
With Jessup officially joining NCAA Division II next year, the Warriors are looking to end their NAIA era by doing what the Yotes did a season ago, cut down the nets in Kansas City. COI are looking to become the first back-to-back national champions since Oklahoma City in 2007 and 2008.
 
Friday's game can be streamed for a fee HERE.
   
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).