ROCKLIN, Calif. – Jessup Warriors men's basketball (11-11, 8-8 PacWest) secured a pivotal victory over Fresno Pacific University (9-12, 8-7 PacWest) on Thursday night, 81-73. 

In a key Pacific West Conference matchup that came down to a dominant second-half performance, the Warriors were lifted by an offensive explosion. Behind a career-best night from Cayden McDaniel, Jessup moved back to .500 on the season and leveled their conference record to 8-8.

After a back-and-forth first half that saw Jessup take a narrow 32-31 lead into the locker room, the Warriors' offense ignited in the second period. Jessup outscored the Sunbirds 49-42 in the final 20 minutes, fueled by a 22-7 advantage in fast-break points.

McDaniel was the catalyst for the Warrior's offensive success. McDaniel finished with a game-high 25 points, shooting 6-of-11 from the floor and an aggressive 10-of-13 from the charity stripe. He also added five rebounds and four assists to his stat line.

The Warriors also saw a highly efficient performance from Aleksandar Mitrovic, who missed only one shot on the night, finishing with 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting. Andre Norris contributed 14 points and two steals, while Varick Lewis added 13 points and three steals.

Defensively, Jessup held Fresno Pacific to 40.7% shooting and forced 16 turnovers. The Warriors were effective at converting those mistakes into points, outscoring the Sunbirds 36-30 in the paint. The Warriors showed great depth in the win, as Tom Parsons hauled in a team-high six rebounds to help Jessup maintain control of the glass in key stretches.

Jessup will look to carry this momentum forward as they continue their home stand at Warrior Arena. The Warriors are back in action this Saturday, February 7th, as they host Azusa Pacific for a 3:30 PM tipoff.