SAN FRANCISCO – It took more than two halves to decide Saturday's matchup pitting Academy of Art University men's basketball against Stanislaus State. An even 74-74 at the end of regulation, the game progressed into overtime where the Urban Knights jumped ahead via a 9-3 run and fended off the Warriors once more for the 88-85 victory to close SF State's Tipoff Classic. Freshman guard and All-Tournament Team selection Dante Williams sealed ART U's first win with free throws late in the extra period, giving him 17 points to lead four Knights scoring in double figures.

"I felt like we came together as a team when things started going downhill and that's what kept us in the game," said Williams. "It's exciting to pull out a win in overtime. It's the first of many. We're looking forward to the rest of the year."

Though Stanislaus State led 11-8 early, junior guard Kendall Brown's layup and redshirt senior guard Sergio Valdeolmillos' 3-pointer sparked an 11-0 run to put the Knights ahead 19-11. Brown's ART U debut saw him score 10 points in the first half alone as the lead was soon extended by his second triple.

A 9-0 Warriors response over the next two minutes cut down Academy of Art's 11-point advantage, but baskets by junior guard Victor Nwaba and Williams pushed it back to seven at 29-22. Stan State would eventually force a 31-31 tie and despite senior guard Herman Pratt IV's late 3-pointer, the teams were once again knotted up 38-38 at halftime.

Neither side gained more than a three-point lead in the early portion of the second half. Even the Knights' 50-46 margin after a tip-in by freshman forward Ivan Furlan was short-lived and eight ties ensued in the back-and-forth battle. With just under two minutes left, Brown's three conversions at the foul line helped Academy of Art go up 73-72, but Kyle Gouveia countered with a layup and two blocks on the ensuing possessions. He would make a mistake with 35 seconds left, however, when he fouled freshman forward Luka Radovic who split his free throws to retie the game 74-74.

The Warriors had two chances to end it with six seconds on the clock, but fell short and overtime belonged to the Knights. Williams' four points sandwiched a steal and breakaway layup for Nwaba then Brown found senior forward Chris Salas for a triple as ART U executed a 9-3 run in the first two and a half minutes of the extra period. Academy of Art never relinquished the lead with Nwaba adding his second 3-pointer for the 86-82 lead and, though Stanislaus still had two chances to tie in the final seconds, the final buzzer instead gave the Knights an 88-85 win.

"I'm very proud of the guys for sticking together and getting the job done versus a very talented opponent," said head coach Julius Barnes. "Defensively, we were active and flying around. Offensively, we were aggressive and almost always in attack mode. All in all, everyone contributed and it was great to be on the sideline to witness this team take another step in the right direction."
 
ART U rises to 1-1 overall with its first victory of the year after four players scored in double figures led by Williams' 17 points. He contributed six rebounds and four assists in 26 productive minutes off the bench. Brown added 16 points off the bench while Nwaba and Pratt each had 11 apiece.

"I love that these young men are starting to realize that in order for us to be successful everyone has to chip in and do their part," said Barnes. "Ball movement, spacing, and the ability to create for others are just a few of the reasons that we were able to see four guys score in double figures."

Stanislaus State remains a winless 0-2 overall on the young season despite a starting five who all scored in double figures in this game. Double-doubles came for Evans (14 points, 11 assists) and Gouveia (13 points, 11 rebounds) while Kaelen Mitchell had a game-high 21 points.

Two more opponents from the California Collegiate Athletic Association, Cal State San Bernardino (Nov. 18) and Sonoma State (Nov. 19) await ART U next weekend at the Sonoma State Challenge.

"Watching the guys bounce back after a tough loss is a testament to their character and resilience," said Barnes. "We'll hope to ride this momentum into next weekend where we'll be sure to face a new set of challenges. We'll continue to focus on the things that we feel will allow us to improve and put us in the best position to win games."