Box Score

Davis, CA --- Academy of Art University stood united as a team in its triumph over NCAA Division I UC Davis on Saturday afternoon. The exhibition contest at the Aggies' home arena, The Pavilion, saw every Urban Knight contribute to the team's 67-62 win. Both teams established leads in the game, but ART U was able to finish the game on a run to defeat its opponent.

“We were together the whole time, and we didn't stop fighting,” Head Coach Mark Sembrowich said. “There was a time in the second half when we were down by five, but the guys didn't throw in the towel. They kept fighting, and we got effort from everyone, twelve guys.”

From the very first possession of the game, the Knights' hustle was apparent. Senior forward Jonathan Burnett and junior center Hunter Hayden both gave Academy of Art second chance opportunities with their offensive rebounds before Hayden got a layup to score first. From there, ART U's offense continued to flow. Sophomore guard Ivan "B.J." Prema, Jr. knocked down a 3-pointer to give the Knights a 5-0 lead, but the Aggies would battle back to tie.

A long ball by senior guard Phillip Samuel put Academy of Art ahead once again though UC Davis came back with its share of 3-pointers in the opening half. After being locked at 15-15 with just under eight minutes remaining, the Knights executed a 7-2 run that included five points from sophomore forward Aaron Aikman. Aikman provided energy off the bench with his quality minutes in the first half.

Like Aikman, freshman center Noah Koné-Nelson also made a significant play to keep ART U in front when he put in a layup with 4:32 left. Junior forward Keith Davis found his teammate for the score then laid one up himself during the Urban Knights' subsequent 7-0 surge. Throughout the contest, Academy of Art was looking to make passes and keep all Knights involved.

“I'm really proud of the effort, and the way they fought," Coach Sembrowich said. "I thought everyone contributed to the win, and am proud of how well they played as a team.”

After taking a 31-25 advantage into halftime, ART U held tight to that lead in the first five minutes of the second. UC Davis would then turn to high-percentage shots to rally back and tie the contest 41-41. The teams exchanged buckets before the Aggies managed their largest margin (five points) midway through the period.

The Academy of Art offense was ignited once again by a 3-pointer from freshman guard Czar Robotham with under five minutes left. Freshman forward William Overton, Jr. then strengthened the lead by converting a pair at the free throw line, foreshadowing his key contributions down the stretch. Overton, Jr. had a jumper and two more free throws in the final minute to help ART U hold off UC Davis.

Going into the exhibition matchup, Coach Sembrowich was determined to have Academy of Art University play as one and the benefits showed Saturday night.

“There were two things I told them: Whatever we did we would stay together, and fight the entire time,” Coach Sembrowich said. “No matter what the scoreboard said, we were in it together, and would stay together.”

For Academy of Art, 11 different Urban Knights scored in the game, led by 17 points from Prema, Jr. The sophomore was 4-of-7 from beyond the arc while adding three rebounds and two steals. Overton, Jr. also reached double figures in scoring (12 points) to go with five rebounds. Davis followed with 9 points and three rebounds. Aikman had eight of the team's 32 bench points which surpassed UCD's 18. Senior guard Devin Williams contributed a game-high five steals for ART U.

The Aggies were led by 17 points (7-of-17 FG) from Joe Harden along with the guard's 12 rebounds. Mark Payne added 10 points as well to go with five rebounds and three steals. As a team, Academy of Art University's defense held UC Davis to just under 30% shooting from the floor.

The 2010-11 season officially begins for Academy of Art University on Nov. 16 when ART U travels to Cal State East Bay for a matchup of Division II teams.

“This was a tremendous stepping stone for us,” Coach Sembrowich said. “It shows that we can play against a good opponent, play together, and fight the entire time. Hopefully it can carry over into the season.”