Game #23
ART U Urban Knights (6-16, 5-9 PWC) vs. Point Loma Sea Lions (12-9, 7-7 PWC)
Saturday, February 3, 2018 at 2 p.m.
San Diego – Golden Gymnasium
Live Stats & Live Video
Game #24
ART U Urban Knights (6-16, 5-9 PWC) vs. CBU Lancers (8-11, 5-6 PWC)
Monday, February 5, 2018 at 5 p.m.
Riverside, Calif. – CBU Events Center
Live Stats & Live Video
ACADEMY OF ART SET FOR SOCAL TWO-STEP
With four wins under their belt in six games in 2018, Academy of Art University women's basketball will travel to Southern California this week for a second look at Point Loma, a team who defeated the Urban Knights back in mid-December, then meets defending Pacific West Conference champion and NCAA Tournament semifinalist California Baptist at the start of next week.
OPENING TIP
Venturing out of the Bay Area for the first time since Jan. 6, Academy of Art is set to tip off a rematch with Point Loma on Saturday, Feb. 3 at 2 p.m. inside the Sea Lions' Golden Gymnasium in San Diego. Two days later on Monday, Feb. 5, ART U gets its first chance to face California Baptist this season, tangling with the Lancers inside their newly-opened CBU Events Center at 5 p.m. Live coverage will be available via the links above. Remember to follow @ARTU_Knights on
Twitter &
Instagram and "Like" the
Urban Knights on Facebook for score updates, videos, and recaps.
KNIGHT WATCH
ART U has continued to climb in the national rankings in offensive rebounds per game and the Knights' PacWest-leading 15.6 average is now 24th overall in NCAA Division II. A big reason why is redshirt senior forward
Pre'Franz Dominick who is second in the category with grabs nearly five offensive rebounds per game. Third in the country in rebounds per game (12.6) and fourth in double-doubles (13) after seven straight, she is currently five offensive boards from setting a single-season program record and 31 boards from the record in total rebounds. The Communications & Media Technologies major has combined impressive work on the glass with an offensive prowess yielding 17.4 points per game (4th in the PacWest). Additionally, she is sixth in the conference in blocks per game (1.4).
Academy of Art has kept three players among the PacWest's top 10 scorers for multiple weeks now as redshirt senior guard
Jazzlynn Brewster is putting up 16.0 points per game (7th in PacWest) and senior forward
Helena Orts adds 15.5 points per game (10th in PacWest). Brewster, the conference leader in assists per game (5.6), enters this weekend ranked 15th in the country in the category and she adds the second-most steals in the PacWest with 2.5 thefts per contest. After a recent stretch of five consecutive games with double-digit rebounds, is now seventh in the conference at 8.7 rebounds per game and tied for fifth in steals per game (2.1).
ON POINT
Currently holding what would be the sixth and final standings spot to qualify for the PacWest Conference Championship Tournament, Point Loma is 7-7 in conference play. The Sea Lions went 2-4 after their Dec. 18 game against ART U, but more recently won three of their last four, defeating those opponents (Concordia, Chaminade, UH Hilo) by 16+ points each. PacWest Defender of the Week Roya Rustamzada, who is tied with Dominick as the conference leaders in double-doubles (13), consistently flirts with a triple-double and has achieved the feat once this year thus far. She comes in averaging 15.3 points (11th in PacWest), 11.6 rebounds (2nd in PacWest), and 2.3 steals (4th in PacWest) per game. She is also ninth in the conference in blocks per game (1.1), a category that PLNU leads as a team (6.6) in large part thanks to PacWest leader Grace Brady's 2.9 rejections per contest. Despite the loss to the Sea Lions earlier this season, Academy of Art still has a 6-3 advantage in the all-time matchup.
LOOKING AT THE LANCERS
Amid their second four-game losing streak of the year, California Baptist has changed dramatically from a 2016-17 campaign that saw them go 20-0 in conference play before reaching the NCAA Tournament semifinals where their year ended with a narrow loss to No. 18 Virginia Union. The Lancers were 4-1 to start their 2017-18 PacWest season, but have gone 1-5 in their last six with losses to Point Loma, Hawaii Pacific, and Azusa Pacific (twice). Now beginning their largest homestand of the year (six games), CBU hosts Concordia and Notre Dame de Namur before meeting ART U on Monday. Tori Mitchell, who paces the PacWest in field goal percentage (.593) is California Baptist's leading scorer and rebounder at 16.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. In 12 previous meetings, the Lancers are 8-4 all-time against the Knights.
BIOLA MAKES MOVE IN 2ND QUARTER, DEFEATS ART U 71-61
Up by 10 points at the end of the first quarter, Academy of Art University women's basketball was met with a 24-2 second quarter Biola run and the Urban Knights were unable to finish off a late comeback attempt, falling 71-61 inside Kezar Pavilion on
Jan. 29. Redshirt senior forward
Pre'Franz Dominick continued to thrive with 22 points, 15 rebounds, five steals, and two blocks, but it was not enough to change the momentum after it shifted.
LOOKING AHEAD
In ART U's return to the Bay Area, Hawaii Pacific comes to Kezar Pavilion on Feb. 12 then the Knights will be in Belmont to face NDNU on Feb. 17.
