Game #12
ART U Urban Knights (6-5, 2-2 PacWest) vs. Hawai'i Pacific Sharks (7-3, 2-0 PacWest)
Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024 at 3:30 p.m.
San Francisco – Kezar Pavilion
Live Stats | Live Video

Game #13
ART U Urban Knights (6-5, 2-2 PacWest) at Westmont Warriors (4-7, 1-4 PacWest)
Friday, Jan. 5, 2024 at 2 p.m.
Montecito, Calif. – Murchison Gymnasium
Live Stats | Live Video

TOAST TO THAT
Academy of Art went into the holiday break with an overall winning record, and now ART U looks to keep the momentum going as the Urban Knights get set to host a one-game homestand where they'll battle Hawai'i Pacific before traveling down the coast to visit Westmont, the first time the two will meet.

TIP-OFF
Tuesday's faceoff with the Sharks will commence at 3:30 p.m. and Friday's tip time with the Warriors is set for 2 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
After a perfect 2-0 start to Pacific West Conference play, ART U has recently dropped their last two contests (both away), being Biola on Dec. 16 and Concordia on Dec. 18 as they headed into the holiday break. The squad holds the sixth spot in the PacWest standings this early into the season, and looks to bounce back in their first game of the new year at home against Hawai'i Pacific before they head to unfamiliar territory while playing Westmont.

With the highest ranked offense in the PacWest (first place), the team hasn't scored less than 74 points in their last 10 contests, as their foot is always on the gas pedal when it comes to offense. Junior forward Jamal Fuller leads the team in points per game (20.4) while also leading the PacWest, with senior forward Latrell Williams also holding a spot in the top 10 (10th place) with his 14.8 ppg. With junior forward Isaiah Williams (14.5) and junior guard Rodney Munson (11.7) also both in the double-digits in points, it is known the squad can find offense from multiple angles at any given time.

When it comes to defense, ART U puts up some of not only the best numbers in the conference, but the country. The squad contains four members in the top six in steals per game, which includes Isaiah Williams (first place), junior guard Treylon Payne (tied-third place), Latrell Williams (tied-third place), and Munson (sixth place). As a team, the Knights bring in 12 steals per game, one of the top averages in the country at the NCAA Division II level (sixth place). While Isaiah Williams is already putting up double-digit points and in the best spot in the rankings in steals per game, he is also near the top of the rankings within the PacWest in blocked shots as well (eighth place).

While Latrell Williams and Fuller have already taken home a PacWest Player of the Week award apiece, they continuously put up the stats to show their success. Multiple other key aspects to the Knights' success have been Latrell Williams' rebounding, as he brings in 7.5 a game (second in PacWest). While he also is ranked near the best field goal percentage in the conference (seventh place), Fuller joins him on the list (third place). Redshirt sophomore Eli Taylor knows who to get the ball too when dishing the rock, as he ranks near the top of the conference with 3.0 assists per game (sixth place), while also having one of the best turnover margins in the PacWest (second place), with his 1.9 ratio.

SACKING THE SHARKS
ART U's first contest of the calendar year will be a duel with more conference play, as the second-place Sharks will visit the Knights. Though they started the season with back-to-back losses, HPU has battled back to a 7-3 overall record while maintaining a perfect 2-0 start in their PacWest matchups. Before the break, the Sharks hosted the Hoops In Hawai'i Holiday Classic, where they took the victory in their first two contests, before dropping their last game against Alaska Anchorage for the second time this season. While second place in the conference standings, HPU holds the eighth-best offense in the PacWest, averaging just 69.7 ppg. Although they are also towards the bottom in the conference in team rebounding (ninth place), they hold the third-best defense, giving up just 67.8 ppg. With Marquis Moore leading the team in scoring (17.6 ppg) and rebounding (6.7 rpg), Melo Sanchez follows right behind as the team's other main source of offense (14.4 ppg). As the Knights are currently on a five-game win streak against the Sharks, HPU leads the all-time series 14-9.

WARM WELCOME TO WESTMONT
In the start of the first year in the PacWest, the Warriors have started their season off to a 4-7 overall record while going 1-4 in conference play. After winning their first conference game against Chaminade, Westmont has gone without a victory for five straight games with their most recent coming from Northwest Nazarene right before the holiday break. Although Westmont has the third-best offense in the PacWest (77.7 ppg), they haven't managed to score more than 75 points during their losing streak. While the Warriors are currently near the top of the field goal percentage rankings of the conference (second place), they are last in free throw percentage, making just 62.4 percent of their attempts. The leading scorer for the squad in Anthony McIntyre has started just two games, but puts up 14.7 points per game while Amir Davis holds the most total rebounds, taking in 6.4 per game. While Anthony McIntyre leads the team in points, the starting duo of Adrian McIntyre (11.9 ppg) and Jarrett Bryant (11.4 ppg) follow right behind. This will be the first contest to date between Academy of Art men's basketball and Westmont.

ART U DROPS LAST CONTEST OF SOCAL TRIP TO CUI, 81-74
Both Academy of Art men's basketball and Concordia traded shots all night during a Pacific West Conference clash on Dec. 18, with the contest remaining tight for both squads throughout the whole game, but CUI stayed hot down the stretch and warded off an ART U comeback, taking the victory with a 81-74 final.

LOOKING AHEAD
The road trip continues for ART U as they travel to the Hawaiian Islands, where they'll battle with Hawai'i Pacific once again upon arrival, with Chaminade and UH Hilo following thereafter.