ROCKLIN – Jessup's Division II era carried into the winter of 2024, as Men's Basketball began their first season in the PacWest and second under head coach Mark Darnall. In a season that saw the Warriors struggle on the road, Jessup produced a winning record at home as they began their work to compete among the best in Division II.
 
The Warriors closed out their first Division II season with a 9-17 record. All nine of those victories came inside Warrior Arena as Jessup finished 9-5 in home contests.
 
Three of the Warriors' wins came in Jessup's first three official games, as Jessup took down Multnomah, Simpson, and UC Merced to build a wave of momentum. They took that momentum on the road as their first Division II test came in the NNU Invitational in Nampa, ID. A loss to Central Washington opened the trip, followed by a loss to Northwest Nazarene. Once home, Jessup dropped their third straight to Cal Maritime.
 
But the losing skid was not meant to last. Up next was conference basketball and the Warriors' first look at the PacWest.
 
With Westmont in town to open the conference schedule, Jessup bulled out the dramatics as Cayden McDaniel beat the buzzer to give Jessup the win. Victories against Dominican and Menlo followed, as Jessup found itself on its second three-game win streak of the season.
 
The win streak was followed by a 1-12 stretch over the Warriors' next 13 games. Jessup showed plenty of fight during the skid, starting with an overtime loss at Azusa Pacific. The Warriors also put up a fight in a five-point loss to Point Loma, the top-ranked team in the West Region.
 
Jessup's one win in the 13-game stretch came against Academy of Art.
 
February 15 brought the Warriors back to their winning ways when Jessup took down Hawaii Pacific, 73-68, inside Warrior Arena. The win avenged a two-point loss to the Sharks in Honolulu.
 
The next three games brought nothing but excitement to Warrior Arena. In losses to Concordia and Hawaii Hilo, Jessup battled back from 15-point deficits in both to take the lead in the second half. The finale of the season, senior day, saw Jessup leave their best for last.
 
In the final game of his collegiate career, Ja'Maris Blackmon scored a season-high 24 points as his buzzer-beating floater took down Fresno Pacific.
 
Blackmon led the Warriors in scoring with a 12.2 PPG average. Aydan Janssan averaged 11.2, adding 9.2 RPG as he finished as one of the PacWest's leading rebounders. Janssan later earned CSC Academic All-District honors.
 
The Warriors showed significant signs of growth in the 2024-25 season. As the Warriors enter their second season in the PacWest, Jessup will continue to put in the work to climb the standings and make a name for itself in Division II.
 
Stay tuned to jessupathletics.com throughout the summer as more recaps from the 2024-25 season will be released.
   
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).