Jessup falls to Sacramento State in exhibition opener

The Jessup University men's basketball team went toe-to-toe with Sacramento State for much of the first half Monday night before the Division I Hornets pulled away in the second half for a 90-74 victory at Hornet Pavilion. The Warriors showed plenty of offensive firepower early, putting up 42 points in the opening half against their Big West opponent. But a second-half shooting slump made it difficult to keep pace as Sacramento State opened its regular season with a win. Cayden McDaniel led Jessup with 24 points, shooting 8 of 13 from the field while adding three assists and two steals. Aleksandar Mitrovic added 14 points, including 10 makes at the free-throw line, and Tom Parsons finished with eight points and four rebounds. Jessup traded blows with the Hornets throughout much of the opening half, with 12 lead changes in the contest. The Warriors briefly held the advantage at 23-22 following a Wyatt Studer 3-pointer with nine minutes remaining. Sacramento State responded with a run of its own, eventually taking a 50-42 lead into halftime. The Warriors continued to battle after the break. McDaniel and Amarlie Wilkinson helped Jessup pull within six early in the second half, but the Hornets answered to rebuild their advantage. Jessup made its strongest push midway through the half. Trailing 66-50, the Warriors put together a 10-0 run to cut the deficit to six with 12:18 remaining. McDaniel knocked down a 3-pointer during the stretch, while Curro Segura contributed a pair of baskets. Sacramento State managed to halt the momentum and gradually extended its lead, eventually building a 19-point advantage before Jessup's late scoring brought the final margin to 16. McDaniel finished with a game-high 24 points, while Wilkinson contributed seven points, six rebounds, four assists and four steals. Segura added four points and three assists, and Kendall Connor grabbed six rebounds off the bench. Jessup shot 41.7% from the field but struggled from beyond the arc in the second half, making just 1 of 10 attempts after going 4 of 11 before halftime. The Warriors also committed 20 turnovers. Larry Hughes II led Sacramento State with 24 points. The game served as an exhibition for Jessup and did not count toward the Warriors' regular-season record. Sacramento State improved to 1-0 with the victory. Jessup officially opens its 2026-27 campaign Monday at Cal Poly Humboldt.