ROCKLIN – The Warriors broke even in year one of their Division II era, as a 14-14 debut campaign gave the Warriors some momentum to work with entering year two. With success in the PacWest and in non-conference, Jessup stood tall in year one as a team unafraid of the new atmosphere in front of them.
 
Head coach Corey Laster guided his squad to a program record 22 wins and a trip to the national tournament in their final NAIA season. A new challenge awaited them in 2024 as the Warriors' first Division II schedule included only two games against non-NCAA opponents.
 
The Warriors won both of those games, both home wins, as they took down NAIA programs Simpson and Cal Maritime. Jessup's other non-conference contests featured games against CCAA programs Sonoma State, Chico State, and San Francisco State. GNAC schools Alaska Anchorage and Fairbanks also made appearances in Warrior Arena.
 
Jessup finished 0-2 against the GNAC, but they managed a 2-1 record against CCAA foes. The highlight of the non-conference slate came when Jessup beat Chico State inside Warrior Arena.
 
Conference action began with Westmont visiting Warrior Arena on December 7. A nail-biting 52-51 victory gave the Warriors a 1-0 start to their PacWest era, and they continued their winning ways their next time out with another one-point win against Dominican.
 
The victory over the Penguins was secured thanks to a wild buzzer-beating basket from guard Tatiana Newsome.
 
A five-game losing skid followed, placing Jessup 2-5 in PacWest games. The Warriors ended their struggles with a win in San Francisco against Academy of Art, but they followed that up with two more losses, putting the Warriors at 3-8 in the PacWest.
 
The wave of momentum Jessup needed arrived on the shores of Oahu, as Jessup made its first conference trip to Hawaii. The trip began with a loss against Hawaii Pacific but was followed by victories at Chaminade, and then a Brianna Byrnes buzzer-beater gave the Warriors a win in Hilo to end the trip.
 
HPU made their visit to Rocklin on February 15, and Jessup got their revenge with a 71-55 win. Two more victories followed as Jessup took down Concordia and Hilo to push the win streak to five.
 
Next came the season finale. With Fresno Pacific in town, a Jessup victory would secure a winning record overall and a .500 mark in conference play.
 
With ten Warriors playing their final game, the picture-perfect ending everyone dreamed of was not to be as FPU handed Jessup a 62-39 loss to end the year.
 
The Warriors were led in scoring by Andrea Jovicevic in the 2024-25 season as the guard averaged 11.4 PPG. Kayla Vieira (8.6) and Natalie Moulos (7.8) were next on the scoring chart.
 
While the ending was not the one the Warriors wanted, the 2024-25 season can be seen as nothing short of a success. When the Warriors step onto the court this fall, they will be looking to take their next step 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).