ROCKLIN, Calif. – Jessup University Warriors (9-9, 6-6 PacWest) dropped their second meeting against Dominican University (10-7, 5-6 PacWest)Saturday afternoon, 60-72.
The early minutes suggested a barnburner was in store. Andre Norris ignited the Warrior faithful early with a sharp triple off a Tom Parsons find, giving Jessup a 7-4 edge. The lead swapped hands five times in the first half alone, with Aleksandar Mitrovic providing a spark off the bench with a gritty layup and the ensuing free throw to keep the Warriors within striking distance.
However, the Penguins' Darius Best and Nick Medeiros began to assert control as the half progressed. Despite 24 points in the paint from Jessup in the opening frame, Dominican utilized an 87% clip from the charity stripe to carry a 38-32 lead into the locker room.
The second half proved to be a test of endurance and execution. Jessup's Varick Lewis did his best to keep the Warriors afloat, finishing with a team-high 16 points, while Norris added 15 of his own. The Warriors' defense held Dominican to a meager 31% shooting in the second half, but the Penguins made their living at the free-throw line, sinking 13-of-16 attempts in the final twenty minutes to maintain their cushion.
Every time Jessup threatened to close the gap, most notably a Lewis layup that cut the deficit to seven with just under two minutes remaining, Dominican responded with composure. A crucial block by Luke Ortiz on a Wyatt Studer attempt and a subsequent jumper by Ortiz effectively cemented the Penguins victory.
The story of the game was written at the foul line and on the glass. Dominican out-rebounded Jessup 45-39, often limiting the Warriors to a single shot per possession. While Jessup outscored the Penguins in the paint 34-30, Dominican's 20 made free throws, compared to just seven for Jessup, proved to be the mathematical difference.
Tom Parsons led the effort on the boards for Jessup with 9 rebounds to go along with 6 points, while Troy Crighton added 5 rebounds and 2 assists in a gritty bench performance. The loss levels Jessup's record at 9-9 overall and 6-6 in conference play, as they struggled to find their rhythm against a Penguins defense that seemed to have an answer for every Warrior run.
The Warriors will have to shake off the sting of this home defeat quickly as they look to climb back above the .500 mark in the competitive PacWest. Jessup will prepare for a Southern California road trip with their next three games down south. First, the Warriors will visit Concordia University on Thursday, January 29th for a 7:00 PM tipoff.
