IRVINE, Calif. – Although Academy of Art University women's basketball remained within striking distance throughout all 40 minutes of Friday's Pacific West Conference Championship Tournament semifinal, it was No. 3 California Baptist who ended up holding on for the 90-80 victory. Converting 13 of their 34 attempts from three-point range, the Lancers were hot early, but saw a 12-point second half lead cut to one with seven minutes left and later six with just under a minute remaining. However, layups down the stretch enabled CBU to reach its third consecutive tournament final.
 
The rematch started in the exact same fashion as the teams' Feb. 23 contest as Kamille Diaz hit a 3-pointer mere seconds after tipoff. Shortly thereafter, ART U responded with a 9-0 run in which four different Urban Knights scored. Academy of Art led by one with three minutes to go in the first quarter, but California Baptist then proceeded to execute an 11-2 run, gaining a double-digit advantage on the fourth triple from Diaz.

ART U whittled the margin back down to one in the second quarter after senior guard Jasmin Guinn converted a three-point play. Soon junior forwards Pre'Franz Dominick and D'Andree Galipeau each put in layups and finally junior guard Jasmine Rubin found senior guard Zoie Sheng for a 3-pointer which brought the difference to one, 37-36, at the half.

A 9-2 Lancer run opened the third quarter and went on to gain a 12-point advantage (57-45) on Diaz's ninth 3-pointer of the evening. Guinn scored the final six points of the quarter and it was a 66-58 CBU lead heading to the final frame. Dominick put in back-to-back layups then a Guinn triple and senior guard Regina Camera's fastbreak layup capped a 13-4 surge to bring ART U to within a single point with 7:08 on the clock.

Senior guard Sha'Nice Storey hit her first of three fourth quarter 3-pointers to keep California Baptist in the Knights' sights at 74-72, but free throws helped the Lancers build their advantage back up to 10 points with three minutes left. Storey's next two triples came in quick succession and suddenly Academy of Art had made it a six-point game once again with plenty of time still remaining. In the end, three CBU layups in the final two minutes spelled the difference in the 90-80 final.

ART U finishes the regular season and PacWest Tournament with a combined 24-8 record. Guinn amassed a team-high 21 points with four rebounds and four assists while Camera and Storey each had 15 points apiece. Dominick put up 12 points in 12 minutes off the bench and Sheng had eight assists to go with seven rebounds and five points.

California Baptist, who improved to 28-1 with the win, was led by a program-record nine 3-pointers and 29 points from Diaz. She added seven rebounds and seven assists, going 9-for-13 from beyond the arc. Megan Frerer (19 points, 13 rebounds) and Courtney Nelson (11 points, 14 rebounds) each finished with double-doubles.

The Urban Knights now await word on potential NCAA Regional play to be announced this Sunday, Mar. 6.