Game #6
ART U Urban Knights (2-3) vs. Jessup Warriors (6-4)
Friday, Dec. 1, 2023 at 7 p.m.
San Francisco – Kezar Pavilion 
Live Stats | Live Video

A SOON-TO-BE CONFERENCE WELCOME
Academy of Art men's basketball enters this week's only contest looking to get their last win before Pacific West Conference play is set to begin, as they will face a future PacWest opponent in Jessup at Kezar Pavilion on Friday.

TIP-OFF
Friday's showdown with the Warriors will have a late evening tip time, with the action getting underway at 7 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
It was a challenging previous week and a half for the Urban Knights when they matched up against two top teams in the country in the matter of seven days, as ART U took on No. 22 Chico State on Nov. 18 on the road and No. 6 Saint Martin's on Nov. 24 at home. The Knights also matched up against Stanislaus State on Nov. 22 in between the tough battles, as they won their second game of the season.

Junior forward Jamal Fuller had a career week in the team's last two games, taking home the PacWest Player of the Week award for his play between Nov. 20-26. Against Stanislaus State and SMU, Fuller averaged 32.5 points per game, which included a 33-point performance versus the Warriors on Nov. 22, which now ranks third-most in ART U program history, and scored 32 points against SMU on Nov. 24, which ranks seventh most. These point totals put Fuller atop the leaders in the PacWest in points per game (first place) with his 22.4 average. While he leads the conference, Fuller is also ranked near the top of the NCAA Division II pool (19th place).

Fuller has company when speaking about Knights that are ranked within the top 10 in statistics throughout the PacWest, with four others joining him. Senior forward Latrell Williams is one, as he has brought in 7.2 rebounds per game (fourth in PacWest) while he's ninth in field goal percentage (.419), seventh in minutes (33.4 per game), and one of three members of ART U men's basketball among the top five in steals (tied for fourth in PacWest at 2.2 per game). Junior guard Rodney Munson joins Latrell Williams in steals with 2.4 per game (tied for second), as does junior forward Isaiah Williams (tied for fourth). Junior guard Treylon Payne has done a little of everything so far this season, and currently sits eighth assists in the PacWest rankings (2.8 per game) while redshirt sophomore forward Eli Taylor has added 4.3 assists per game for the squad in three contests.

Junior guard Allen Taylor has proven he can be a main contributor this early into the season as well, as he went on an eight-point run against the Wildcats to erase the deficit at the time. Junior forward Ashton Howard scored double-digit points (10) for the first time this season just last game against SMU.

BATTLING THE WARRIORS
Already sitting with a 6-4 record with 10 games played in the early season, Jessup enters the matchup as winners of their last contest, taking down Pacific Union by a 122-44 final. Although they're coming off a strong victory, Jessup has lost to teams like UC Merced, Multnomah, Oregon Tech, and Southern Oregon. With a large roster, the Warriors have rotated in 14 players onto the court with all of them finding themselves a score. Five members of Jessup are averaging double-digit points, with Myles Corey leading the way with his 15.8 per contest. While the team is shooting over 47 percent from the field collectively, the Warriors have also brought in 99 offensive rebounds to pair up with their strong offense.  Jessup is 2-2 this season when not playing at home, and will play against Academy of Art for the first time in school history, playing at an unfamiliar arena for them in Kezar Pavilion.

HIGH-SCORING BATTLE FAVORS NO. 6 SMU OVER ACADEMY OF ART
A clash between two teams that met last year in the NCAA Division II West Regionals lived up to the hype, with Academy of Art men's basketball playing a strong second half, but No. 6 Saint Martin's held on to their lead they created in the opening frame, taking the victory for the 92-81 win on Friday.

LOOKING AHEAD
ART U will square off in their first PacWest contest next week on Dec. 7 at home against the Azusa Pacific Cougars at Laney College in Oakland, Calif. before also hosting Chaminade on Dec. 10 at Kezar Pavilion.