Box Score

Fresno, CA – Shooting over 50 percent and pushing ahead for good with a 10-0 run in the first half, ART U Women's Basketball put away Fresno Pacific 86-66 for its 16th Pacific West Conference victory. The Urban Knights had five players score in double figures led by Krystal Forthan's tenth consecutive double-double (25 points, 10 rebounds) for an all-around team effort inside FPU's Special Events Center on Monday evening.

"I thought again our team was very unselfish and everyone played a role that was key in our success tonight," head coach LaNay Larson said.

It was anybody's game early on as Forthan and Sha'Nice Storey worked in tandem on the offensive end up to a 9-9 tie. Storey's first basket of the game officially set the new program record for career 3-pointers made and it was not long before she knocked down another through six lead changes in the first 14 minutes.

Jasmin Guinn scored two layups midway through the period to both cut down a Sunbirds lead and then help shift the advantage to ART U 24-21 with 9:17 left. A 26-26 tie was broken by a big three-point play Storey converted and the Knights never trailed from that point on. Regina Camera added a layup off Molly O'Brien's assist and soon the favor was returned on a fast break. Free throws and high-percentage scores helped build Academy of Art's lead up to 43-29.

However, as the half wound down, Fresno Pacific fought back with an 8-0 run to make it only a six-point difference at the break, 43-37 in favor of ART U. Out of the locker room, the Knights were on a mission. With layup after layup, they quickly pushed ahead by 12 (55-43) on Camera's fastbreak score led by Zoie Sheng's pass. An 8-2 response by the Sunbirds made things interesting midway through, but the lead returned to double digits on free throws by Camera and a Forthan easy two points.

"We talked at halftime that we needed to get out and run more, play our tempo, and that starts with rebounding," Coach Larson said.

Of the 19 field goals made in the second half, layups accounted for 15 and Academy of Art was soon hitting the 20-point lead threshold on O'Brien's conversion. The rest was inconsequential as ART U finished off the game up 86-66.

For the now 19-6 overall and 16-1 in conference Urban Knights, Forthan finished with her tenth consecutive double-double in the form of a game-high 25 points (11-of-14 FG) and 10 rebounds. Storey posted 17 points (2-of-7 3PT) with three steals while Camera added 16 points and five assists. Guinn contributed 10 points and six rebounds and O'Brien produced 10 points, six rebounds, and four assists off the bench. Sheng added seven assists for her highest total since delivering eight back-to-back in the first two home games of the year.

"It feels great to be leading the conference and positioning ourselves for post season, but we focus on one game at a time," Coach Larson said. "We never want to look too far ahead and lose that focus.

Fresno Pacific (9-13, 9-7 PacWest) had a bright spot in Jenay Herring's 19 points (8-of-13 FG) as well as Breana Buczek's 13 rebounds, six points, four assists, and three steals.

Academy of Art has one of just two home games left in 2013-2014 coming up this Saturday, Feb. 22 with Dixie State in town for a rematch held at SF State's Main Gymnasium, but hosted by ART U. Tipoff is set for 1:00 PM. Sign up for the FAN BUS here!