ROCKLIN, Calif. – The Jessup University Men's Basketball team (2-5, 0-2 PacWest) fought valiantly against the Biola Eagles (4-3, 1-1 PacWest), in an intense overtime finish on Saturday night, 81-84.

The Warriors showed immense fight throughout the contest, especially in the first half, where their defense and efficient scoring helped them build a seven-point lead, heading into the break up 39-32. However, Biola proved relentless in the second half, chipping away at the deficit and eventually outscoring Jessup 42-35 to force the extra period. In the final five-minute frame, the Eagles were able to secure the win, converting crucial free throws and making key plays down the stretch to edge the Warriors 10-7 in the overtime period. The game featured nine ties and six lead changes, indicative of the tight battle between the two PacWest schools.

Jessup's offense was paced by a strong night from junior forward Aleksandar Mitrovic, who dropped a team-high 18 points on 8-of-15 shooting while grabbing 6 rebounds. The scoring was well-distributed across the lineup with five Warriors reaching double-figures. Cayden McDaniel was a force off the bench, adding 15 points and going a near-perfect 6-of-7 from the free-throw line. Varick Lewis poured in 13 points, knocking down three shots from beyond the arc. Andre Norris put up 12 points and filled the stat sheet with 7 rebounds and a game-high 6 steals. Finally, Tom Parsons also provided a spark off the bench, finishing with 11 points and converting all six of his free-throw attempts.

Head Coach Mark Darnall addressed the overtime finish post game, "Super tough loss but this conference start is showing just how competitive we are and I am proud of our effort tonight." Darnall continued about the team's growth, "We are getting a ton of experience as this group continues to show up and play hard."

Jessup did a fantastic job forcing turnovers and playing aggressive basketball, tallying 12 fast break points and recording 9 total steals as a team. However, Biola's frontcourt proved difficult to handle, as Eagle Tyus Parrish-Tillman led all scorers with 27 points and tallied 5 blocks, while Cameron Brown added a 21-point, 10-rebound double-double.

The Warriors will look to regroup as they continue their PacWest schedule. The team will visit Menlo College on Tuesday, December 16th at 7:30 PM.