ROCKLIN, Calif. – Jessup University Men's Basketball (5-6, 2-3 PacWest) suffered a narrow loss Saturday afternoon falling to the University of Hawaii-Hilo (1-9, 1-3 PacWest) at Warrior Arena, 70-73.

In a back-and-forth PacWest battle that came down to the final possessions, the Vulcans topped the Warriors for their first win of the season. The home team came out strong with a nine point run to open the first half. Hawaii Hilo clawed their back and came within three at the break, 33-30. However, the Vulcans found their rhythm in the second half, outscoring the Warriors 43-37. The difference often came at the charity stripe, where Hawaii-Hilo converted 23-of-26 (88.5%) compared to Jessup's 13-of-18 (72.2%).

Varick Lewis led the way for the Warriors, turning in a stellar performance with a game-high 23 points. Lewis was efficient from beyond the arc, knocking down five triples while adding four rebounds and two assists.

Andre Norris and Cayden McDaniel both finished in double figures with 11 points apiece. Norris was active on the defensive end, tallying four steals and three rebounds, while McDaniel added two assists to his scoring total. Aleksandar Mitrovic anchored the paint with seven points and five rebounds. The Warriors' bench contributed 14 points, led by Tamatoa Humbert who scored six points in 12 minutes of action.

Jessup dominated the fast-break category, outscoring the Vulcans 21-10 in transition, but Hilo's bench and second-chance points (14-5 advantage) proved to be the equalizer. The loss moves Jessup to 5-6 overall on the season and 2-3 in PacWest Conference play. 

The Warriors will look to bounce back as they continue their PacWest home stand. Jessup remains in Rocklin for their next matchup, where they will host Hawaii Pacific University as they look to climb back toward the .500 mark in conference play. Tip-off will be at 7:30 PM on Monday, January 5th.

Tickets for all upcoming home games are available at jessupathletics.com/tickets.