FRESNO, Calif. – In a competitive defensive matchup with Fresno Pacific, Academy of Art men's basketball took over in the second half as the Urban Knights built a huge lead in the back half of the contest to come out with the Pacific West Conference victory with a 66-48 final score.

"Tonight our defense deserves a ton of credit for the win," said Head Coach Scott Waterman. "Our offense struggled to get going in the first half, but we held FPU to 33 percent from the field which allowed us to stay in the game. In the second half, our defense caused 15 turnovers which swung the momentum in our favor for good. Going on the road and winning is tough, and we have three more road games where we need to handle our business before we return to San Francisco."

Directly after tip-off, the Knights started the game with a 6-0 lead off back-to-back 3-pointers from redshirt junior guard Donovan Vickers and senior forward Isaiah Williams, which would be the largest advantage for either side throughout the first half. FPU responded with a triple of their own, and from there the score would be knotted up for the first time at 9-9 just six minutes in. Three more ties and six lead changes would come throughout the opening frame, and the first half would result in a 26-26 deadlock with both teams looking to build a larger lead in the upcoming half.

Getting out ahead early in the second half, the Knights held onto the lead for the rest of the game just three minutes into the closing frame. Scoring from all around ART U's roster put the squad up by double digits before halfway through the second half, and the Sunbirds would only be able to ever make it a three-score game before an 8-0 run from the Knights would help bring that advantage up to as many as 20 before the contest would end at it's 66-48 final score.

The consistent offensive Williams led the team in scoring once again this season, as he guided the squad with his 17 points, with senior guard Rodney Munson holding 13, all while senior forward Quintin Metcalf and junior forward Robbie Armbrester shared the team-high in rebounds with seven apiece. On the defensive end, Williams stood out among the Knights as he collected three blocks and two steals en route to the conference win. FPU's 48 points scored in the game is now tied for the third-fewest the squad has given up in program history. 

Next up, ART U will be back in the Bay Area but still be on the road, as the Knights will take on Menlo for the first time this season this Saturday, Jan. 25 with a 3 p.m. tip inside Haynes-Prim Pavilion.