ROCKLIN, Calif. – The No. 8 ranked team in the nation made an appearance inside Warrior Arena as the Sea Lions of Point Loma took to Horton Court against the Warriors Saturday afternoon. In a physical battle, Jessup kept it close throughout, but in the end, it was PLNU pulling away with the 70-65 victory.
 
Saturday's loss makes it six in a row for the Warriors, as their record falls to 4-9 in PacWest action.
 
"I'm really proud of our group," said head coach Mark Darnall. "These guys stuck together. They are great guys. I know a lot of coaches would be miserable, and I want to win as much as anybody, and I want these guys to have that experience. But I credit them that they've stuck together through this stuff."
 
Jessup's hard-fought effort saw them lead for over 20 minutes of regulation, with their largest advantage being five points with just over a minute to go in the first half. The Warriors connected on 52 percent from the field, including a 57 percent showing from beyond the arc.
 
That three-point shooting was on display early in the second half, as Jessup hit their first five attempts from distance.
 
Darnall, happy with the offensive production, also wanted to single out Jessup's work on the defensive end. "I thought our guys showed up and gave great effort. I thought we were physical tonight. It was nice to see our defense play a little bit better than what I've been seeing. Obviously, not good enough to get the job done, but I'm really proud of our group's effort tonight, and I'm hoping we can carry that over here into this last month of February."
 
The Warriors held Point Loma to a 37.5 percent shooting performance in the opening half and forced ten turnovers over the course of the game.
 
Sophomore Anthony Enoh had the big performance for Jessup, as he led the game with 21 points on 7-of-11 from the field. Enoh added nine boards, which also led the game. Cayden McDaniel and Ja'Maris Blackmon finished behind him with 12 points each.
 
Point Loma saw five players finish in double-figures, with Like Haupt leading the way with 16 points.
 
Four home games remain on the schedule for the Warriors, but first will be the longest road trip in terms of distance, as the Warriors will head to Hawaii this week for three games.
 
"It's hard to win in Hawaii. Everybody keeps telling me that," added Darnall. "We just have to bring it every night and try to keep the guys focused. But it's a cool experience for them. That's part of the draw playing in this league is that these guys get to have the experience to play college basketball games in Hawaii."
 
Jessup will begin the trip with two games in Honolulu, starting with Hawaii Pacific on February 6. The Warriors will then visit Chaminade before jumping islands to take on Hawaii Hilo.
Jessup University is a provisional member of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division II and the PacWest Conference. 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 (Instagram & X). Read Full Article