Box Score

San Diego, CA – Academy of Art University men's basketball caught fire from distance in the second half, but could not battle back against UC San Diego in an 81-61 final. Inside RIMAC Arena on Saturday afternoon, the Urban Knights showed aggressive first half defense, and long-range offense in the second. Sophomore guard Ivan "B.J" Prema, Jr. and freshman forward William Overton, Jr. combined for 30 points and six 3-pointers.

Although the Tritons scored first, Academy of Art responded as Prema, Jr. gave ART U a 5-4 lead with a deep triple. Strong defense by both sides kept the teams off the scoreboard for the next three minutes before freshman guard Czar Robotham ended the drought with a layup. The Knights notched three steals midway through the half to keep the pressure on the Titans. ART U freshman center Noah Koné-Nelson then provided a string of four key points off the bench to keep the game close.

Junior forward Keith Davis, who led ART U with 25 points in the season opener against Cal State East Bay, showed his defensive prowess by registering his second block of the game with 8:16 remaining in the half. The Knights and Tritons were then locked at 15-15 after a pair of quality post moves by junior center Hunter Hayden earned him a layup. After an 8-4 UCSD push in which guard James McCann scored seven straight for the Tritons, Prema, Jr. knocked down another 3-pointer to bring Academy of Art right back, 20-19.

Despite trailing UC San Diego 29-20 at the half due to a pair of Triton three-point shots to end the period, a triple by Overton, Jr. came seven seconds into the second. Shortly thereafter, Prema, Jr. struck again for his third long ball, making the score 31-26 with 17:37 left to play. UCSD responded with a 8-3 run which was eventually broken up by a trey from Overton, Jr..

"Our defense did a good job the first half," said Head Coach Mark Sembrowich. "They guarded their offense and prevented their big guys from scoring. We battled rebound for rebound, and our defense did what we wanted them to do. Our offense just didn't quite get in the groove."

With 12:50 left in the game, a steal by sophomore center Mike Jorritsma, led to Prema, Jr. making a quick pass to senior forward Phillip Samuel, who knocked down a 3-pointer of his own. As the Tritons tried to pull away, Overton, Jr. would bring the UCSD lead back into single digits, 56-47, with the Knights' fifth triple of the half. UC San Diego, however, managed to overcome the hot shooting from Academy of Art and finished the game 81-61.

ART U's top scorer was Overton, Jr. with 16 points (3-of-5 3pt) including 7-of-8 from the free throw line. All of his points came in the second half. Prema, Jr. added 14 points, a 3-for-7 shooting night from long range, two rebounds, and two assists. Hayden posted a team-high six rebounds, while Davis did a little bit of everything. The Long Beach, CA native chipped in six points, four rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and one steal. Up against two CCAA opponents thus far, the Knights' record stands at 0-2.

"BJ and Will are good players and capable of that kind of scoring. Tonight they were able to shoot and score some. Hopefully we can build on that as we continue to play," added Sembrowich.

The Tritons were led by forward Justin Brue with his 18 points and nine rebounds. McCann and guard Ryan Peters added 16 and 13 points respectively. Center Christian Hatch, the team's leading scorer through the first thee games, came alive in the second half to finish with 10 points and 10 rebounds. With the victory, UCSD improves to 3-1 this season.

Academy of Art University will be on the road during the Thanksgiving holiday with a pair of contests in the Concordia Tournament. In St. Paul, MN, the Urban Knights match up against Upper Iowa University in a neutral site game on Friday, Nov. 26 at 5:00 PM CST (3:00 PM PST). The following day, ART U faces host Concordia University, St. Paul at 7:00 PM CST (5:00 PM PST).