Box Score
SAN FRANCISCO – Overcoming an 11-point second half deficit, Academy of Art University Women's Basketball did something it has never done previously – defeat Azusa Pacific. A steady 20-9 run was later followed by a 14-5 push to finish the game as ART U took the lead in the final two minutes and topped the Cougars 74-70 with solid execution once again. Junior forward Krystal Forthan led the charge with 27 points and 17 rebounds, scoring the game-winner as well as the team's final 10 points.
In the early going, it was a layup by senior guard
Molly O'Brien that sparked a 9-3 run which she later capped with a 3-pointer off the pass from junior guard
Regina Camera. However, Azusa Pacific responded with a 15-2 surge fueled by made free throws and the Cougars found themselves up 26-16 midway through the period.
ART U soon fought back with its own 8-0 run to cut down the advantage, using free throws as well as baskets from Forthan and junior guard
Zoie Sheng to get back within three points (30-27). APU had their lead up to five on multiple occasions down the stretch in the first half and a Maggie Dumphy jumper kept it at 40-35 Azusa Pacific at the break.
The slow-paced first half which had seen the teams combine for 32 free throw attempts quickly changed in the second period as the Cougars started with a pair of layups and Sheng responded by draining a 3-pointer. Miriam Zabinsky's triple brought the margin back to 11 points briefly before the Knights began to close the gap.
Junior guard
Sha'Nice Storey began with a fastbreak layup and was again down court in a flash as the game turned. A 56-50 APU advantage eventually became a 60-60 ballgame on Camera's free throw. For all Academy of Art had done to battle, they still could not manage a lead, and it was not until Forthan made free throws and then hit a jumper with one minute and 41 seconds left, that ART U was on top.
That was their first advantage since 14:02 in the first half and they were on their way to a huge momentum shift. Forthan, who was playing on her birthday, continued to work down low and Sheng found her in strong position on back-to-back trips, resulting in a two-point lead at 72-70.
Although Azusa Pacific had three chances to tie on the ensuing possession, Forthan grabbed a critical rebound with two seconds left and sealed the Knights' first-ever victory over the Cougars with free throws.
Academy of Art improves to 8-3 overall and 3-0 in PacWest play with the win. Forthan was one point and one rebound shy of tying her career-highs with 27 points (10-for-16 FG, 7-for-10 FT) and 17 rebounds while Sheng added 15 points, three rebounds, and two assists. The bench contingent of O'Brien and junior center
Caron Brown contributed nine and eight points respectively. Junior guard
Jasmin Guinn finished with nine rebounds and six points and Camera a team-high six assists.
The Cougars take their fifth loss of the year (7-5) and second in conference play (3-2) despite getting 24 points from Dumphy and a double-double in the form of 11 points and 10 assists from Cydnie Jones.
ART U now heads into a 10-day stretch without an official competition, but resumes before the end of the year with a Dec. 31 matchup at Dixie State in St. George, Utah.
