SAN FRANCISCO – In a battle with two top-four Pacific West Conference teams, Academy of Art men's basketball and UH Hilo fought hard until the end of extra time against one another, but it was the Vulcans who found a 70-65 triumph in the final seconds of overtime after Monday's Senior Night event for the Urban Knights. 

Holding a narrow lead for the majority of the opening frame, the Knights created a four-point advantage as halftime hit after four ties and eight lead changes in the first 20 minutes of action. Junior forwards Bryce Moore and Robbie Armbrester paced ART U with seven points apiece in the first half, while senior forward Isaiah Williams collected six points with six rebounds. 

While ART U held the lead up until 16 seconds left in the second frame, the Knights led by as many as 12 points, but the Vulcans steadily climbed back into it throughout the last 10 minutes of regulation. Headed into the last minute, ART U was up by three after a UH Hilo bucket, but three straight free throws from Julio Montes II in the final 20 seconds tied it up at 61-61. Looking to get off the last shot, the Knights put up an attempt with five seconds to go, but the leading shot-blocker in the conference in Nadjrick Peat sent it back and towards Jarin Edwards who was looking to score the game-winning bucket on the fast break. Edwards went on to get fouled on the lay-up with under a second left, and two no-good free throw attempts sent the contest into overtime.

Just over 20 seconds into the extra period, the Vulcans found a lead off a Montes II jumpshot and never gave it up. The game would hover around a low single-digit difference for the away team in the last five minutes while senior forward Quintin Metcalf attempted to keep it close with two buckets of his own, but two Brody Davis free throws would build that lead to five points to seal the 75-70 win in the Vulcans' favor. 

Despite the result, Bryce Moore dropped a team-lead and career-high 15 points on 5-for-7 shooting from the field, while senior guard Rodney Munson was next up with 11 of his own. Senior guard Treylon Payne did a little bit of everything, adding seven points, five rebounds, three steals, and two assists. All nine members of ART U saw at least one rebound, while Williams led the team with seven.

Headed down to Southern California for the last two games of the regular season, ART U will battle against Concordia up next on Thursday, Feb. 27 with a 7 p.m. tip-off while Azusa Pacific will follow thereafter to close out the final game before the PacWest Conference Tournament.