Game #22
ART U Urban Knights (11-10, 7-6 PacWest) vs. HNU Hawks (5-15, 3-9 PacWest)
Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022 at 5:30 p.m.
Oakland, Calif. – Tobin Gymnasium (no spectators allowed)
Live Stats & Video

Game #23
ART U Urban Knights (11-10, 7-6 PacWest) at HNU Hawks (5-15, 3-9 PacWest)
Friday, Feb. 11, 2022 at 5:30 p.m.
Oakland, Calif. – Tobin Gymnasium (no visiting spectators allowed)
Live Stats & Video

Game #24
ART U Urban Knights (11-10, 7-6 PacWest) vs. UHH Vulcans (10-9, 6-6 PacWest)
Sunday, Feb. 13, 2022 at 3:30 p.m.
Belmont, Calif. – Walter Gleason Gym
Live Stats & Video

DOUBLING UP
Finally back in the win column after a victory over Dominican in which ART U allowed fewest points since they held Notre Dame de Namur to just 48 points on Feb. 21, 2019 to keep a hold on sixth place in the Pacific West Conference standings, Academy of Art men's basketball gets back into action with a pair of back-to-back games against Holy Names before ending the week on Sunday with a rematch against UH Hilo.

TIP-OFF
The two contests against the Hawks will take place from Tobin Gymnasium, with the Urban Knights hosting the battle on Feb. 9 at 5:30 p.m. while HNU will serve as the home team on Feb. 11 beginning at 7:30. On Sunday the Urban Knights will return to Walter Gleason Gym to host the Vulcans at 3:30 p.m. Remember to follow @ARTU_Knights via the athletics app (Apple App Store, Google Play Store) and on Twitter & Instagram, as well as "Like" the Urban Knights on Facebook for score updates, videos, and recaps. 

KNIGHT WATCH
Defensive grit was what ended the four-game skid for the Urban Knights, as they produced 13 steals and forced 18 Dominican turnovers as ART U sealed a regular season series sweep over the Penguins with a 63-52 victory, the first time they have done so since they did it in back-to-back seasons starting in 2017-18 and again in 2018-19. Graduate student guard Denny Slay tallied nearly half of ART U's swipes with a career-high six steals en route to being named PacWest Defender of the Week, becoming the fifth Urban Knight to win the award in the season while it is the seventh time for ART U overall, both of which are PacWest records. Meanwhile, despite all eight Urban Knights to see action on the floor scoring at least one bucket, only junior forward Mike Asante was able to score more than 10 points as this marked the first time this year that only one Urban Knight scored in double figures.

This season ART U is 10-3 when scoring above 75 points with an average 83.8 points per game in those contests (shot above 40 percent from the field in 11 of 14 occasions). The most recent win for the Knights was their first when scoring below that mark, but the Knights have scored below 75 points in each of their last four games and are now 1-7 when scoring below that mark, averaging just 65.1 ppg (shooting below 40 percent from the floor in first five of those eight games). That split leads to an overall average of 76.7 ppg on the strength of 43.5 percent shooting from the field, with the points per game ranking fourth in the conference. Currently standing at 1,611 points on the season, the Knights current pace would have them end the year with 2,148 points, which would be a new program record (current record: 2,105, 2019-20), while the scoring average would second most in ART U history (current record: 76.9 ppg, 2020-21).

Defense has been a hallmark of ART U this season, reaching double-digit steals a total of 14 times with a season best of 20 against HPU on Jan. 15. ART U is the only team in the PacWest to average double-digit steals per game, as they are fifth in all of NCAA DII with an average of 10.9 per game. Just as impressively, ART U's total of 229 steals is also fifth in the nation, and is also a new program record for single-season steals, topping the previous mark of 207 set in the 2016-17 campaign. At their current pace, ART U is projected to end the year with 305 total thefts. Additionally, their 378 forced turnovers are also a conference best while slotting eighth in the nation, forcing opponents to turn the ball over an average of 18.00 times per game which is seventh in NCAA DII. 

Other categories in which the Knights rank inside the top five in the PacWest include rebounds per game (fourth; 36.1), assists per game (fourth; 13.76), field goal percentage defense (fifth; 43.3 percent), free throw percentage (fourth; 75.1 percent), and turnover margin (second; +3.10).

When looking at stats from just ART U's 12 conference contests, Academy of Art posts the third-best scoring margin at +4.8 while averaging the most points per game in the conference at 78.8, and pulls down the second most rebounds per game with an average of 37.8. They remain at the top in steals per game thanks to an average of 11.92, while also appearing in the top five in the following categories: assists per game (third; 15.00), opponent field goal defense (second; 42.2 percent), free throw percentage (third; 76.3 percent), turnovers forced (first; 246), turnover margin (second; +4.15), opponent 3-point field goal percentage (third; 32.6 percent), and blocked shots per game (fifth; 2.92).

Leading the five Urban Knights that are averaging double-digit scoring is graduate student guard Deang Deang with 12.2 ppg on the strength of 49.7 percent shooting. Providing value with both his scoring and his work on the glass, sophomore forward Latrell Williams is averaging 10.2 ppg to pair with 7.6 rebounds per game, with a total of five double-doubles on the season. His rebounding average is tops on the Knights while also ranking second PacWest, though he is first in the conference in total rebounds with 160, which is tied for 10th most in a season in program history. The second-highest scoring average on the team is the 11.4 ppg from Brown, while just behind him is graduate student guard Denny Slay with 11.0 ppg. Rounding out the group is graduate guard Joshua Bagley with an average of 10.4 ppg, while also slotting ninth in the PacWest for assists per game with an average of 3.3.

Sitting atop the PacWest in steals per game at 2.7 is Brown, who has recorded at least two steals in every game that he has tallied a swipe, and has totaled 19 in his last six games. Now up to a total of 53 on the season, Brown ranks ninth in the nation for steals per game while ranking sixth in total steals. Trailing behind Brown in steals per game are teammates Slay (second, 1.8 spg), Deang (fourth, 1.7 spg), and Williams (seventh; 1.5). Meanwhile, junior forward Cheickna Sissoko is 10th in blocks per game at 0.7, swatting away a season-high five would-be shot takers during the win over Chaminade, the most in a single PacWest game this season. 

KNIGHTS' QUEST
Helping the Knights start 2-0 for the first time since the 2015-16 season was the duo of Popoola Jr. and Williams as the two were named to the SF State Tip-Off Classic All-Tournament Team. For Popoola Jr., he averaged 15.5 points per game and was clutch at the free throw line against the Gators, becoming the fifth Urban Knight to be perfect at the line with at least 10 attempts in a single game by going 10-for-10. Williams chipped in an average of 12.5 points and a team-high 8.0 rebounds per game over the first two contests, including a double-double in his first game as a Knights where he dropped 19 points with 11 rebounds. Popoola Jr. also collected a PacWest Defender of the Week honor on Nov. 15, the first PacWest weekly award of his career, capping off a week where he averaged 3.5 steals per game as well as 7.0 defensive rebounds (eight total). 

Also key in the 2-0 start was Deang as he chipped in 13.5 ppg in the season-opening tournament and grabbed his own double-double during the win over the Seawolves with 20 points and 10 boards, going a perfect 9-for-9 from the field. He became only the second player in program history to post a perfect shooting percentage while making at least eight buckets, joining Aaron Aikman who did so on Nov. 9, 2013.

After a three-game slide that included losses to a pair of squads that now enjoy a national ranking in No. 4 Chico State and No. 15 Cal State San Bernardino, the Knights responded with a 90-78 win over Saint Martin's before capturing a signature win in the history of the program with a 79-60 defeat of UC Davis, the first victory over a DI opponent in the regular season in program history. ART U knocked down exactly half of their looks from the floor but hit on a season-best 61.5 percent (8-for-13) of their looks from downtown, the highest 3-point percentage in a game by a PacWest member school this season. 

PacWest action for the Knights began with an all-around impressive 91-71 toppling of Dominican, the largest win over the Penguins in program history (previous: 17 points, 79-62 on Feb. 1, 2019). Academy of Art showed their defensive grit and set a pair of their season highs that night, including 14 steals and six blocks, leading Bagley to be named the PacWest Defender of the Week on Dec. 6 thanks to a career-high four steals.

Following that was the first ever undefeated road trip to Southern California in ART U history, with an impressive 90-77 victory over Concordia before narrowly escaping 76-74 over Point Loma and the return of PacWest Preseason Player of the Year Kaden Anderson. Strong on the glass in the victories was Williams as he snatched a total of 15 defensive rebounds (22 total), becoming the third Urban Knight this year to be named the PacWest Defender of the Week on Dec. 13. 

The final PacWest game of 2021 saw the Urban Knights handily take down Chaminade in a 100-77 win effort, leaving ART U as the only remaining team without a loss in conference action and moving them into sole possession of first place. Additionally, ART U produced a four-game PacWest winning streak, the longest such streak in Urban Knights history. Starting with a 29-2 run in the first frame, the Knights would go on to set the third highest point total on the most field goals made (43) in program history. While the shooting hand of the Knights would cool a bit in the second frame, they still finished at a season-best 55.8 percent shooting from the floor. It was the third time the Knights hit triple digits in school history, and the first since they tied the program record with 107 points against Simon Fraser on Nov. 21, 2014. The scoring against CUH came on a season and program best 26 assists, tying the mark that they set against Holy Names on Feb. 13, 2020. 

Matched up against their second NCAA Division I opponent of the season, this time battling San Francisco neighbor USF, the Dons put an end to what had become the Urban Knights' six-game winning streak by giving ART U its first loss this season when reaching the 75-point mark. Leading all scorers was Deang with 21 points on 50 percent shooting (7-for-14) from the floor with a season-high four steals, while Slay chipped in 17 and totaled five assists for the second straight game. 

A pair of rematches against Point Loma and Concordia brought a 1-1 week, as ART U split the season's meetings with the Sea Lions but were able to sweep the Eagles for the first time in program history, while also tying the longest winning streak by either side in the all-time series (three games). Showing up defensively was Brown, who recorded five steals in both games while also averaging 5.5 defensive rebounds per game in being named the PacWest Defender of the Week on Jan. 10. He became the fourth Urban Knight to earn the award this season.

Tasked with playing three games in five days on the Hawaiian Islands, the Urban Knights came back with a 1-2 record thanks an 83-70 victory over Hawaii Pacific, though it was sandwiched between a pair of defeats at the hands of UH Hilo and Chaminade. Contributions came from all around on the trip but returning home with his second consecutive PacWest Weekly award was Brown, who was tabbed as the PacWest Defender of the Week on Jan. 17 thanks to an average of 2.5 steals, 1.5 blocks and 5.0 defensive rebounds per game.

ART U picked Fresno Pacific's pockets nine times in the second frame and a pair of Bagley three-balls cut the deficit to three, but the Knights wound up just short against the team that allows the fewest points per game in the PacWest, with the Sunbirds icing the game from the free throw line in the closing seconds. Five of those steals would belong to junior guard Klay Brown, who claimed his third consecutive PacWest Defender of the Week award on Jan. 24 with an average of 4.0 steals and 3.0 defensive rebounds when including the contest against Chaminade. He is the only ART U men's basketball student-athlete to have earned the award multiple times in a single season, and is the first player to collect three or more PacWest weekly honors in a single year since Jase Harrison was named the Freshman of the Week four times during the 2014-15 campaign.

It was a tough week for the Urban Knights when matched up against the top two teams in the conference, as ART U took the No. 3 team in the West Region Biola into overtime but couldn't complete the late comeback as the Eagles squeezed in a layup with eight seconds left to snatch a 71-69 victory. Waiting was the No. 1 team in the PacWest standings, and Azusa Pacific proved their worth by defending their home court with a 75-70 win over the Knights. The fifth and final swipe of the game against APU from Brown was his 53rd of the year, a new ART U single-season program record after topping the previous record of 52 set by Alexis Moore in the 2013-14 campaign. 

RED HAWKS DOWN
Sitting in ninth place in the standings and the first spot out of the PacWest Tournament as it currently stands is Holy Names, who enter at 5-15 overall on the season having lost each of their past five games and seven of their past eight (win was against Dominican on Jan. 21). Most recently the five-game skid includes consecutive losses to Fresno Pacific, Dominican in overtime, Point Loma and Biola. The Hawks rank in the bottom half of nearly all statistical categories when looking through the PacWest, with the exception of a sixth-place showing in free throw percentage (71.6 percent) and fourth-place ranking in turnover margin (+0.05). Doing all the scoring for Holy Names is Edward Gray, as his 18.3 ppg lead the squad and is fourth-most in the PacWest, while Babacar Thiombane pulls down the most rebounds with an average of 6.6 per game to pair with 9.0 ppg. ART U is out in front of HNU in the all-time series between the two teams 14-5, with the Urban Knights currently riding a six-game winning streak against the Hawks (longest streak by either team) that began back on Dec. 10, 2017. 

EXTINGUISHING THE VUCLANS
Sitting directly behind the Urban Knights in the PacWest standings is UH Hilo, who topped ART U with a 3-pointer in the closing moments to swipe a 75-72 victory back on Jan. 13, meaning that this game will be critical to rounding out the field in the PacWest Championships in early March with the field now having expanded to eight teams. Since that game against the Knights and the subsequent win over Dominican on Jan. 17, the Vulcans have lost five consecutive contests beginning with Azusa Pacific, Concordia, Point Loma, Biola, and ending with yet another loss at the hands of the Cougars in the rematch. While Hilo boasts the second-best scoring offense in the conference behind ART U, their hard work can be undone on the other end as they allow a PacWest-worst 78.6 ppg leading to a -0.1 scoring margin. Shooting is among the Vulcans' strengths, knocking down 46.0 percent of their looks from the floor and 35.6 percent from beyond the arc. While they lack in rebounding, Hilo actually tops ART U in turnover margin with the best clip in the PacWest at +3.21, and average the second most steals with an average of 7.21 per game. The lineup is anchored by one of the best players in the PacWest in Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones, as he averages a conference-best 8.2 rebounds per game to go with 18.8 ppg, third-most in the PacWest. Meanwhile, just behind him is Donald McHenry with an average of 15.3 ppg. With the win the last time out, the all-time series between ART U and UH Hilo is deadlocked at 9-9. 

ART U BACK INTO WIN COLUMN AFTER DEFENSIVE BATTLE WITH DU
When they needed it the most Academy of Art men's basketball showed up with active hands on defense, collecting timely steals that turned into key points down the stretch for a 63-52 Pacific West Conference win over Dominican on Saturday.   

LOOKING AHEAD
ART U will continue its PacWest schedule when the Knights finish off their season series with Hawaii Pacific on Feb. 17 before preparing for a rematch with Azusa Pacific on Feb. 21.