Will Overton
Mercedes Lubarski

Men's Basketball

Scoring At Will

Inside Kezar Pavilion this past Saturday afternoon, Academy of Art fans witnessed an unforgettable display of scoring talent. Freshman forward William Overton, Jr. entered the Pacific West Conference history books as the first men's basketball player to score 44 points in a single game. However, for all the talk and excitement surrounding his achievement, Overton, Jr. was particularly excited about one thing: The victory.

"I didn't even know I had scored that many in the middle of the game," Overton, Jr. recalled. "I was just playing and trying to get the win mainly."

In the Urban Knights' 86-75 triumph over Menlo on Dec. 4, Overton, Jr.'s 44 points demonstrated his versatility on the offensive end. The Perth Amboy, NJ native was sent to the free throw line 23 times Saturday afternoon and finished the game with an incredible 19 made foul shots. His 82.6 percentage at the line helped keep ART U in the driver's seat late in the game as the Oaks tried to fight back. Overton, Jr. was also 10-of-15 (66.7%) shooting from the floor and 5-of-10 (50.0%) from long range at the conclusion. Along with the big scoring effort, Overton, Jr. grabbed seven rebounds with two steals and one blocked shot.

"I feel fortunate because my teammates kept giving me the ball," Overton, Jr. said. "If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't have half of the points I had. I was happy about that all in all. I was happy that we got the win mainly though. [The points] wouldn't have mattered if we lost."

With his fellow Knights putting the ball in his hands down the stretch, Overton, Jr. made PacWest history. He became the first men's basketball player to score 44 points in a single game, besting the previous record of 39 points that belonged to Zack Whiting of Chaminade on Dec. 30, 2006, vs. Indianapolis. Current PacWest records begin with the 2006-07 season when the league reformed to its current structure. For his performance against Menlo, Overton, Jr. was also chosen as the PacWest Player of the Week, marking the first Academy of Art men's basketball player to receive such an honor. Overton, Jr. now leads all PacWest scorers with an average of 21.6 points per game.

"Obviously it's great when a kid can score like that," Head Coach Mark Sembrowich said. "We needed all of [the points] so there were no fluff points. He piled up a lot of free throws at the end there, but we needed them all to be successful. It's a credit to him that he's worked on his shooting and practiced."

The achievement also set numerous new records for Academy of Art University. Overton, Jr.'s 44 points were the most by an ART U men's basketball athlete in a game since Weleh Dennis had 33 against Holy Names on Jan. 6, 2009. In addition, Overton, Jr. converted 19 free throws to top the previous school record (14) Dennis set in that same contest. Of Overton, Jr.'s total, 28 points came in the second half which itself marked an Urban Knight record for points in a single period. Finally, his five made 3-pointers put Overton, Jr. in a third-place tie behind the six that Dennis made on two occasions during the first year of Academy of Art men's basketball.

Five minutes into the game versus Menlo, there was little doubt as to who might have the hot hand for ART U. Overton, Jr. spearheaded an early 9-0 Urban Knight run by scoring eight of those first nine points. As the Oaks stayed close, Overton, Jr. soon sparked another 8-2 burst from Academy of Art. He knocked down a 3-pointer then jumped into the passing lane for a steal and dribbled down for an emphatic one-handed dunk on the other end.

Will Overton
Overton, Jr. would put together a string of five points early in second half to push ART U's lead into double digits. He drained the first Academy of Art triple of the second period then got fouled after an offensive rebound and attempted put-back. The freshman headed to the free throw line where he made a pair, foreshadowing his role in the approaching finale. As Menlo sniffed a late potential comeback, Overton, Jr. effectively silenced the Oaks' chances by making eight of his final nine foul shots.

"Down the stretch, I knew I had to hit the free throws to ice the game," Overton, Jr. said.

In the wake of this incredible scoring performance, what does the future hold for ART U's freshman forward?

"The offense is going to flow so I'm not really worried about that," Overton, Jr. said. "I know how to score so I try focus on other things like rebounding and defense. I feel good though. We've got a long way to go and our team can still get better. We have a lot of keys and weapons that we have yet to show everybody so I think it's only the beginning."