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Azusa, CA – Victory never tasted so sweet.

A storybook season continued Friday as ART U Women's Basketball defeated Grand Canyon in 60-58 in an overtime thriller to advance to the Pacific West Conference Championship title game tomorrow evening. Though senior Ariel Dale nearly scored the game-winning 3-pointer at the end of regulation, the Urban Knights got a key triple from senior Jordan Rogers in OT and stayed in front for their second victory over GCU in extra time this season.

“That was probably the gutsiest performance I've ever coached,” head coach LaNay Larson said. “I'm really proud of my seniors because they really stepped up. They made key plays down the stretch on both ends of the court. They really wanted this game so bad. It's something that we talked about from the beginning of the season as being one of our goals.”

Despite the raucous atmosphere created by Grand Canyon's band and cheerleaders, it couldn't have been a hotter start for Academy of Art. The Urban Knights jumped out to a 10-0 advantage beginning with back-to-back 3-pointers from Rogers and freshman Regina Camera. Senior Katy Wade and Dale got into the act, but GCU came back with a 9-0 run.

ART U pushed ahead once again by way of another pair of triples, these by freshman Sha'Nice Storey and Rogers, and yet the game was tied 18-18 soon after on a five-point swing by the Antelopes. From there, both teams turned up their defensive intensity and made shots began to mean so much more.

Rogers and senior Nicol Biesek helped give the Knights another small margin to work with, but a 7-1 run by the 'Lopes to close the half put them up 26-23 at the break. That Grand Canyon lead lasted all of 1:10 into the second half as Camera splashed another shot from deep to tie it up 26-26.

A brief lead came for ART U on consecutive jumpers by Wade, but GCU tied it once again 31-31 to foreshadow how close this game would be down the stretch. Fighting through three more ties, the Knights went up by four, 42-38, on a layup by Rogers though Grand Canyon again came back to tie it 44-44.

Staying close with free throws, the Urban Knights found themselves knotted with the 'Lopes for the ninth time at 48-48 with 3:15 to play. That's when Dale found Camera for a huge 3-pointer, but GCU was still not going without a fight. A four-point swing by GCU put them in front by one, 52-51, but Rogers went baseline, fought through contact, and converted a layup with just under a minute left.

Up by one, ART U got a major defensive stop as Judy Jones missed her layup and Dale secured the rebound. She was fouled, but split a pair of free throws and the ball was given to Grand Canyon once more with them down 54-52. Maylinn Smith, who had been held scoreless for the entire contest to that point, managed to put in the game-tying jumper, but gave the Knights a chance with two seconds left.

Following a timeout, Academy of Art put the ball in the hands of Dale who would attempt only her third 3-pointer of the season at the buzzer. The shot sailed from the top of the arc over many gaping mouths and dropped in resulting in an explosion from the Knights bench as it appeared they had won on a buzzer-beater. The referees, however, consulted amid the celebration and waved off the basket, saying Dale had not gotten it off in time. Thus, overtime would ensue with a 54-54 score.

“In the final seconds of regulation, I saw the clock showed two seconds and so there's nothing you can do, but take a good shot,” Dale said. “So when that three went in, I was gone. I didn't even know what was going on and I couldn't believe it. But when we sat down and they didn't count it, I said there is no way we are about to lose this game. We had two chances already and the team was right there with me so we went out and grabbed it. We wouldn't take no for an answer.”

Powered by the memory of when they knocked off Grand Canyon in overtime on Feb. 14 when the 'Lopes were ranked #13, ART U got started with one of the biggest shots of the game: Rogers' third 3-pointer of the afternoon. GCU would try to take back its lead, but a Dale jumper after Camera's steal put Academy of Art up 59-56. Smith, the only Antelope to score in the extra period, hit another jumper and the teams were separated by a single point.

“As a coach, those are the moments that are heart-stopping,” Coach Larson said. “Whether the shot was good or not at the end of regulation, we knew we had battled all game and I said, 'We've got to win another one in overtime.' It was very reminiscent of the first time we played them so I said, 'We dominated overtime then and we're going to do it again.' The girls were excited so we switched gears, they stayed focused, and we just kept doing what we had done all game. Tired or not, injured or not, they just battled through.”

A wild sequence followed in which the teams combined for four turnovers, but after Jones missed a 3-pointer with a minute to go, Dale was again sent to the foul line still with her team up by one. Dale again split free throws and now Grand Canyon looked at its final possession down by two, 60-58. The 'Lopes' Justine Johnson put up a triple for the win, but it did not fall and the ball was batted around. At one point, freshman Zoie Sheng went for a blind save of the ball going out of bounds and Jones then had one last chance for the tie, but missed, and the game finished with ART U on top 60-58.

“It's an easy group to get emotional with,” Coach Larson said. “These girls are very special to me. I'm in my second year as a head coach here and these seniors have definitely bought into the system and have made the program what it is. We've come such a long way in two years. To think that we're in the championship game of the conference tournament, nobody would have put us here two years ago. It's all a tribute to how hard they've worked and I'm just really proud of them.”

Academy of Art improves to 22-8 with the win and was led by Rogers' game-high 21 points. Camera added 13 points and Dale stuffed the stat sheet with eight points, six rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Wade finished with eight rebounds, seven points and two blocks.

The 22-8 Antelopes got a 14-point, 19-rebound double-double from Jones as well as 15 points and eight rebounds from Deanna Daniels. Jasmine Cannon added 10 points and five rebounds.

The Urban Knights will make one more appearance at Azusa Pacific's Felix Event Center tomorrow evening for their 4:30 PM tipoff against #1 Hawaii Pacific to crown the PacWest Conference Tournament Champion.

“I got a little emotional after this win because I really hope we win the PacWest Tournament Championship,” Rogers said. “That would mean everything to me.”