SAN DIEGO – What was a potential postseason preview happened in the opening contest of Pacific West Conference play for Academy of Art men's basketball, as Thursday's battle with preseason favorite Point Loma lived up to all the hype. Despite ART U eliminating a first-half double-digit deficit, and the first double-double of the year for graduate student guard Will Balata, it was PLNU who escaped victorious on their home floor with a 69-61 win. 

It seemed like the Sea Lions (5-3, 1-0 PacWest) could not miss from the field early on in the first half, using a 13-2 run to build a double-digit lead. Though the lead would fluctuate slightly, it remained at 10 points with just under eight minutes to go after consecutive PLNU three-balls from Tobin Karlberg, with the second marking the sixth Sea Lions' shot from downtown in the period. Showing their fight, the Urban Knights (5-2, 0-1 PacWest) cut the deficit to just one before the break commenced, 34-33, thanks to a 7-0 run over the last two and half minutes. 

Early parts of the second half saw the two teams go back and forth before layups from graduate student guard Deang Deang and sophomore guard Rodney Munson helped ART U match its largest lead of the night at three points. That margin didn't last long, as a 9-0 Point Loma run seized the game's momentum and they never looked back, but it certainly remained a battle down the stretch.

ART U never let the PLNU lead grow to more than three possessions, with a dunk from sophomore forward Jamal Fuller and a 3-pointer from Balata bringing Academy of Art as close as they could still trailing by just two. They would trim the gap once more minutes later, trailing by just three after a jumper from senior guard Klay Brown with only 90 seconds remaining in the contest.

However, time was against the Urban Knights as they were forced to foul down the stretch, putting the Sea Lions in the bonus where they iced the game from the free throw line. It marked the second loss in the past three games for the Knights, while Point Loma enacted a measure of revenge for last year's PacWest Tournament Semifinal where ART U won in overtime, 78-75. 

Tonight was just the second time scoring under 75 points for Academy of Art, with the Knights going 0-2 in such games. Though they were able to remain close in the contest, ART U shot a season-low 33.3 percent (25-for-75) from the floor in the contest, and failed to record double-digit assists as a team for the first time this season (seven). 

Academy of Art showed its mettle hanging with the Sea Lions and Preseason PacWest Player of the Year Kaden Anderson in the first game after he was named PacWest Player of the Week on Monday thanks to a 46-point effort, as the Knights did their best to limit the dynamic forward to only 11 points. He did, however, finish with a double-double after grabbing 11 rebounds. 

Matching Anderson with a double-double of his own was Balata, who paced the Knights with 16 points and a season-best 11 rebounds. Falling just shy of a second ART U double-double was Fuller, ending his night with 10 points on 4-for-7 shooting (57.1 percent) and nine rebounds. Meanwhile, junior forward Latrell Williams also collected nine rebounds to go along with six points, while Asante dropped 10 points with a pair of blocks. Showing up defensively, Brown snagged seven boards with four steals, with Munson chipping in two steals of his own. 

It will be a quick turnaround for Academy of Art, as the Urban Knights return to the floor on Saturday, Dec. 3 at 4:30 p.m. to take on Concordia.