BELMONT, Calif. – 12 days ago on February 12, Academy of Art men's basketball defied the odds and upset Hawaii Pacific by one point with a layup in the final seconds. At that time, it was crowned the biggest win in ART U history as it kept the Urban Knights' hopes alive in the race for the program's first-ever berth into the PacWest Tournament. Then, Saturday night's game against Concordia came along.

 
The buildup into the contest was unlike any other in ART U history as the Urban Knights found themselves in a win or go home situation. A win, combined with a Chaminade loss to Azuza Pacific and Academy of Art is in. A loss, and the season comes to an abrupt halt.

They won.
 
However, in order to claim the victory, ART U had to claw back from a deficit that loomed as large as 14 points. In fact, the Urban Knights trailed throughout the entirety of the game until senior guard Kendall Brown made a pair of free throws with 32 seconds remaining. His two shots from the charity stripe tied the score at 63-63 and continued the contest which was not decided until two sets of overtime had been recorded.
 
However, Saturday night's game can best be described if we rewind back to the beginning, before the tipoff. The families of both seniors, Brown and Uchenna Okeneme gathered at center court for a ceremony celebrating both of their storied careers with the Urban Knights.
 
"Our seniors have done an amazing job of leading both by example and in using their communicative skills to show others what it takes to be a good team," said head coach Julius Barnes. "We've had some guys in the past that have set the tone in terms of a seniors' role and they took the torch and did a great job. A lot of our success this season is a reflection of what they've done for the program."
 
The observance set the scene for big games from both players as they would each play big factors in the contest to come. For example, just over two minutes into the game, Okeneme recorded the 104th steal of his four-year career with ART U, becoming the all-time program leader.
 
Throughout the entirety of the opening period, the Urban Knights kept things close, never trailing by more than six points until the Eagles pulled out to a 10-point, 33-23 lead at the end of the half. Brown was the biggest offensive contributor in the period, putting up nine points along with three rebounds.
 
Concordia quickly stretched their lead to 12 points to open the second half as the Eagles biggest scorer (JT Roach) scored a jumper just 18 seconds into the period. Over the next five minutes, both sides continued to trade baskets, but the Eagles took their biggest lead of the game (14) at the 14:37 mark when Roach landed his second triple of the night. Now trailing 47-33, it was here that the Urban Knights' comeback came to life.
 
ART U reduced the deficit to just five points (57-52) with 8:10 to play thanks a 7-0 run that took two minutes off of the clock. The streak was highlighted by five points from freshman guard Stefan Milivojevic who sank a pair of layups and a free throw. A pair of free throws by Roach gave the Eagles back a 6-point lead, but Okeneme responded moments with a layup in the paint to bring it back down to four. In their next possession, junior guard Cobe Williams hit a layup of his own to make it just a two-point, 61-59 game with just over four minutes to play. Both sides continued to battle back-and-forth over the next few minutes, but ART U eventually pulled even with 32 seconds left thanks to Brown's aforementioned free throws to close out regulation.
 
To begin the first set of overtime, Roach was back at it again for Concordia, scoring a layup to open the period. However, Okeneme was there to respond, matching Roach's shot with a layup of his own. CUI took the lead just once more in the five-minute playoff, but the Urban Knights eventually pulled ahead by three points: tied at 70 points apiece, C. Williams scored a 3-pointer in his first and only attempt of the game. Williams' field goal came with just 17 seconds remaining and it looked as if it might seal the deal. However, none other than JT Roach tied it back up with an off-balanced 3-pointer with two seconds to play.
 
Now in second overtime, ART U entered unfamiliar territory as it was the first time that the program had ever reached a second set of extra minutes. Unfazed, the Urban Knights immediately jumped out to a 2-point lead thanks to another Okeneme layup in the paint. The Eagles pulled even thanks to a pair of free throws which sparked yet another tightly contested period. Heading into the final minute, Academy of Art held a 3-point, 75-72 lead, but a late triple from Roach tied things up once again. This time, Brown delivered arguably the biggest shot of his career, a two-point dagger with three seconds left which secured the 81-79 triumph.
 
"This group has been a resilient bunch," said Barnes. "They have been faced with a variety of challenges throughout the year. Whenever they have had their backs to the wall, they have found a way to respond. That was evident tonight in the way that they fought, scratched, clawed, and did everything they could to secure the victory and make the most of the opportunity."
 
Brown had the biggest game for the Urban Knights on Saturday night, recording his second-career double-double. His line read 26 points, 13 rebounds, and an assist. Fellow senior, Okeneme, scored 13 points and finished with four rebounds, four assists, and his record-breaking steal. C. Williams shot 80 percent on the night (4-for-5), also scoring 13 points along with two rebounds, three assists, and a steal.
 
Academy of Art finishes the regular season with the program's best record in its 10-year history: 12-14 overall, and 11-9 in conference. The Urban Knights will now gather around to watch the contest between Azusa Pacific and Chaminade as an APU win will punch a ticket to Riverside, Calif. as the No. 6 seed in the PacWest Conference Tournament.
 
"I've been so fortunate to be a part of this," said Barnes. "I'm really optimistic about the prospect of playing in our first postseason game."