ATHERTON, Calif. – Jessup University Men's Basketball (3-5, 1-2 PacWest) team secured their first PacWest Conference win on Tuesday night, defeating Menlo College (1-9, 1-3 PacWest) at Haynes-Prim Pavilion, 78-70
Behind a dominant first half and a composed performance at the free-throw line, the Warriors wasted no time establishing a presence on the road. Jessup utilized a balanced offensive attack and stingy defense to build a double-digit lead early. By the halftime break, the Warriors held a comfortable 36-22 advantage, thanks in part to a 90.9% clip from the charity stripe in the opening frame.
The second half proved to be a more back-and-forth affair as the Oaks found their rhythm offensively. Menlo managed to cut into the Jessup lead, bringing the game within reach at 54-52 with just over eight minutes remaining. However, the Warriors responded with veteran poise.
Jessup relied on their depth and ability to get to the rim, finishing with 38 points in the paint. Down the stretch, Andre Norris and Aleksandar Mitrovic proved to be the difference-makers. Norris was clinical at the stripe, finishing a perfect 10-of-10 on free throws to help ice the game and keep the Oaks at arm's length.
Aleksandar Mitrovic led the scoring effort for the Warriors with 15 points, adding four rebounds and two assists to his stat line. Andre Norris followed closely with 12 points, fueled by a perfect performance from the free-throw line and a team-high three steals.
The Warriors also saw a significant lift from the second unit. Tamatoa Humbert provided a major spark off the bench with 10 points on perfect shooting, including two triples. In the paint, Amarlie Wilkinson anchored the glass with a team-high nine rebounds to go along with nine points and two steals. Tom Parsons also chipped in nine points and three rebounds in 20 minutes of action.
Jessup shot 46.3% from the field and capitalized heavily on Menlo mistakes, scoring 25 points off turnovers. The Warrior bench also played a pivotal role, outscoring the Oaks' reserves 30-25. Defensively, Jessup stayed active with 12 steals and two blocks to disrupt the Menlo rhythm.
Head Coach Mark Darnall praised his team's perseverance and determination in the second half to not falter or lose ground. He remarked after the conference win, "Really proud of this group's effort tonight and to find a way to close out the game, that is something we have been focusing on in practice." Darnall highlighted two key contributors of tonight's victory, "Amarlie [Wilkinson] was big time in getting offensive rebounds and hustle plays and Tam [Tamatoa Humbert], who did not play the last two games, came in hit a couple shots and played great defense."
The Warriors will look to carry this momentum as they continue their PacWest slate on the road. Jessup returns to action on Thursday, December 18, when they visit Dominican University. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:00 PM.
