AZUSA, Calif. – The Jessup men's basketball team picked up a pivotal PacWest victory on Saturday afternoon, defeating Azusa Pacific University (5-7, 3-4 PacWest) at the Felix Event Center, 68-61.
The Warriors started the contest with energy, jumping out to a quick 6-0 lead following back-to-back triples from Aleksandar Mitrovic and Andre Norris. However, the Cougars weathered the early storm, utilizing their own perimeter shooting to claw back. A back-and-forth opening frame saw four lead changes, with Jessup heading into the locker room trailing by a single point, 29-28.
The second half belonged to the Warriors. Jessup found its stride offensively, shooting a blistering 65.38 percent (17-of-26) from the floor in the final 20 minutes. Leading the charge was Tom Parsons, who provided a massive lift off the bench. Parsons finished with a team-high 17 points on an efficient 7-of-8 shooting, consistently finding gaps in the Cougars' defense.
Joining Parsons in double figures were Norris and Mitrovic, who each tallied 11 points. Mitrovic also proved a nuisance on the defensive end, recording three of the Warriors' ten steals. Varick Lewis added 10 points, including three timely connections from beyond the arc to keep the APU defense stretched.
While the Cougars stayed within striking distance thanks to 10 made three-pointers, Jessup's interior presence proved insurmountable. The Warriors outscored APU 36-14 in the paint and won the rebounding battle 35-33, led by Curro Segura's game-high nine boards.
Despite a difficult afternoon at the free-throw line (36.8%), Jessup's defensive discipline held the Cougars to just 34.5 percent shooting from the field, ensuring the lead remained intact through the closing minutes.
With the win, the Warriors move to 7-7 overall on the season and level their conference record at 4-4.
The Warriors will now return home to Rocklin to begin a three-game homestand. The stretch kicks off next Saturday, January 17, when Jessup hosts Concordia University Irvine. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:00 PM inside Warrior Arena.
