BELMONT, Calif. – Academy of Art men's basketball had the hot shooting hand all night against Bay Area rival Dominican, as they not only set a new season high but the third-best field goal percentage in a game in ART U history at 61.8 percent, officially clinching a berth in the Pacific West Conference Championship with a 89-75 victory in conference action on Saturday.

"After the week off, it was good to get back on the court and have a great offensive performance," said ART U Head Coach Scott Waterman. "It was great to see us share the ball and attack Dominican's zone aggressively. On the defensive end we had some great possessions, but need to continue to work on playing a full game on that end of the floor. [We're] looking forward to another opportunity to continue to improve and prepare for the PacWest Tournament."

A free throw and 3-pointer for the Penguins (12-14, 7-11 PacWest) built an early 4-1 lead, but that was quickly erased by Urban Knights (16-8, 11-6 PacWest) with a pair of buckets from graduate student guard Will Balata. Dominican returned suit with a jumper of their own, but a mini 6-0 ART U run that was started by a triple from senior guard Klay Brown gave them a lead they would not again relinquish. 

With the margin hovering around two possessions, again the Knights used a smaller 7-0 run to capture their first double-digit lead of the game just over midway through the period, which was comprised of layups from junior forward Latrell Williams and graduate student guard Deang Deang then ended on a triple from graduate student guard Stephon Hall. It was a solid stretch that also featured ball movement, as all three buckets came after assists, the first two from senior forward Mike Asante and the last from Deang. 

Though most of the remaining time in the first period the lead remained in double digits, at one time swelling as large as 14 points, a handful of shots including one from beyond the arc were able to land for the Penguins just before the half, keeping the contest within reach at 37-30. 

The opening two minutes of the second frame saw both sides trade buckets, but the more persistent Knights established another a lead that flirted back-and-forth with double digits. Dominican gave one last push, slashing the deficit to just five points with seven and a half minutes remaining on a triple that followed a minute-long scoreless streak by both sides. 

However, that push was not enough to keep up with the Knights, who responded with a 14-2 stretch that seized all of the game's momentum and was the catalyst to the victory. Though the lead was as large as 17 points, the final score rested at 89-75 as Academy of Art has now won three straight games against the Penguins. The win also officially clinched a berth in the PacWest Championship, marking the third straight season ART U has earned a spot in the conference tournament (no tournament 2020-21). 

In each of the last four periods of game action the Urban Knights have shot over 50 percent, as they went 14-for-25 (56.0 percent) in the first frame before cashing 66.7 percent (20-for-30) of their looks in the second half. All told, that resulted in a new season-best 61.8 percent (34-for-55) shooting from the floor for the game, which easily passes their previous season high against Biola and is the third-best percentage in ART U history.

Additionally, all but one Urban Knight that scored in the contest shot 50.0 percent or above from the field, including sophomore forward Jamal Fuller going a perfect 6-for-6 on his attempts. By the end of the game Fuller had 15 points, while leading the way for Academy of Art was Balata, who totaled team highs with 18 points on 7-for-10 (70.0 percent) shooting and eight rebounds. Adding a crucial 16 points off the bench was sophomore guard Rodney Munson, doing so on 6-for-8 (75.0 percent) shooting, while Williams was the final Urban Knight in double figures with 12 points. 

Ball movement was once again key for ART U, ending the contest with a total of 18 assists for the fifth time this season. All but one Urban Knight who played in the game recorded an assist, led by the seven from Asante which is a new season-high and is tied for the most in an ART U game this season (also: Brown at CSUEB). Meanwhile, the duo of Balata and Munson each chipped in three helpers. 

The next time on the floor for Academy of Art will be a detour of conference play, as the Urban Knights face off against NCAA Division III opponent UC Santa Cruz for the first time in program history on Tuesday, Feb. 14 at 7 p.m. inside Holy Names' Tobin Gymnasium.