William Jessup University Athletics issued the following announcement.
After 25 days off and a preseason filled with exhibitions, the Warriors got back on the court for a New Year's Day battle against the No. 15 ranked College of Idaho Yotes. 2021 started with a bang, as after an extra five minutes of basketball, the Yotes finished on top 70-68.
In what was a matchup of two powerful NAIA basketball programs, the start of Friday's contest was on the slow side as both teams showed noticeable signs of rust. The Yotes bounced out to a 9-0 run out of the gates, but they would score just ten more points over the next 10 minutes.
Jessup sent a limited lineup for this trip to Idaho, as only ten players dressed for Friday's game due to injury and illness. Friday's starting five was a first for the Warriors, as it took these players some time to find a groove together.
"We had a different lineup today with a lot of key guys out, and we had guys playing different roles," said Head Coach Lance Von Vogt on the noticeable slow start for Jessup. "It's about grinding it out.
"It's about mental toughness to handle everything that comes your way, the adversity. And that's all this was. I thought both teams did really well responding to adversity."
Fouls and turnovers were a problem for the Warriors in the early going Friday, as the Yotes found themselves in the bonus for the final ten minutes of the half. Jessup committed 12 first-half turnovers, aiding in the Yotes pulling ahead to a 25-18 advantage with four minutes to go.
Jessup finally got some momentum rolling their way in the final three minutes of the half, thanks to a pair of steals from Freshman Myles Corey. On back-to-back possessions, Myles would find his brother Malik Corey in transition to set up the first four points of a half ending 11-2 run.
Momentum flipped quickly out of the locker room, as the Yotes once again opened play with a big run, this one at 12-2. COI had an opportunity to build a large lead as the Yotes entered the bonus for the final 8:30 of regulation, but they missed all of their free-throw attempts in the second half.
Jessup banked off the Yotes' mishaps from the line en route to an 8-0 run to even the game thanks to a Jayden DeJoseph three-point-play with 5:29 to go.
Both sides proceeded to trade baskets, none more significant than a fadeaway 3-pointer from Tarren Storey-Way to even the score. With 12.9 seconds remaining, Jessup had a chance to win the game after a timeout in the frontcourt, but they couldn't connect as the game entered overtime.
Overtime continued the same trend as the closing moments of the second half. After the Yotes pulled ahead by five, Storey-Way again drained a 3-pointer to put Jessup back in contention. With 17.6 to play, the Warriors got the ball down two with a chance to tie or win.
They chose to go for the win, as it was Erik Kinnerbrew firing from long-range at the horn, narrowly missing to end this roller coaster of a contest.
"Whoever was open was going to get the ball; that was the play," added Von Vogt, who stated that the play was not necessarily to go for the win but to find the best shot.
Storey-Way had the best offensive game of his Jessup tenure, leading all players with 24 points to go with nine rebounds. Three other Warriors would finish in double-figures: DeJoseph (13), Malik Corey (10), and Matt Garrison (10).
"Tarren is just improving leaps and bounds," Von Vogt said on the play of his senior. "People don't realize the things Tarren can do, and he's really committed himself."
While not stealing the show in the scoring column, freshman Myles Corey was all over the court with ten assists and five steals to his credit. He added nine points as well.
Ricardo Time led the Yotes in scoring Friday with 23 points. Derek Wadsworth contributed 11 points to his team's efforts, while Jake O'Neil led the game with 12 rebounds.
Both the Warriors and Yotes will be back on the court tomorrow for the second game of this back-to-back series. Tipoff will be at 2 p.m. PST from the J. A. Albertson Activities Center in Caldwell. Stream the game live online HERE.
Original source can be found here.
Alerts Sign-up