HONOLULU – Academy of Art women's basketball bounced back from a tough opening quarter with a 20-6 scoring edge in the second before extending the lead in the third to eventually capture the Pacific West Conference season series with Chaminade via a 66-52 victory inside McCabe Gymnasium on Tuesday night. A total of 27 points and 18 rebounds made up sophomore forward/center Alisha Wilson's sixth straight double-double which came with five steals, four assists, and four blocks as well.

It was a tale of two quarters in the first half as the Silverswords jumped out to a 12-3 lead before finishing the opening frame up 14-7 after Wilson converted two layups in the final 20 seconds including one to beat the buzzer.

"Every day we are faced with adversity," said Head Coach Lindsey Foster. "There has not been a day we have not experienced that. The message for this game was: There is no time to complain and think about what we don't have; we need to tackle the reality of our situation and make the best of it."

The score was quickly tied 14-14 less than two minutes into the second quarter as Wilson and freshman guard Kyla Wandick both got to the rim and sophomore guard Jadence Clifton hit one of what would be three 3-pointers in the frame. Academy of Art capped a 15-0 run to open the quarter with two free throws from redshirt freshman forward Mohala Kalauli and eventually finished off a 20-6 difference in the frame on a layup by senior guard Lauryn Manns and a triple by Clifton. After keeping CUH off the scoreboard in nearly the first six minutes, ART U held its opponent to the program's third-lowest point total since the quarter format began in 2015-16 (tied with four other occasions behind Cal State East Bay's five in 2016 and Fresno Pacific's five in 2022).

Baskets by Manns and Wandick started what became a 12-2 surge to start the second half as Clifton and Wilson helped add on. Thriving on the offensive glass, Wilson soon singlehandedly delivered seven unanswered points as the Urban Knights' advantage grew beyond 20, accentuated by a play in which she scored on a putback on one end then blocked a shot on the other end in a span of seven seconds.

The ART U lead swelled to as many as 25 after two Clifton scores in the paint punctuated an 8-0 push midway through the fourth quarter and, despite a comeback attempt by the Swords thereafter, the Knights walked away with their fourth win in their last six games by way of a 66-52 final.

Collecting its fourth victory against five losses in PacWest play thus far, Academy of Art rises to 4-10 overall as the aforementioned full stat line for Wilson included 27 points (one shy of her career-high achieved this past December) on 10-for-14 shooting from the field, a season-high four blocks, and her eighth double-double of the season as she is now tied for second in program history with 22 in her career. Clifton's 22 points were a season-high, coming on an 8-for-14 performance shooting from the floor, and included a season-best three triples along with seven rebounds and three steals. Wandick provided 11 points and steals.

Dropping to 1-14 overall and 1-8 in conference action, Chaminade's highlight was Olivia Crigler who posted 19 points, including five 3-pointers, plus six rebounds.

ART U will complete its Hawaii roadtrip with one last stop at UH Hilo on The Big Island this Thursday, Jan. 12, tipping off against the Vulcans at 5 p.m. HT (7 p.m. PT).