Game #12
ART U Urban Knights (5-6, 1-2 PWC) vs. Hawaii-Hilo Vulcans (6-5, 3-0 PWC)
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 5:00 PM HST
Hilo, HI – UHH Gymnasium
Live Stats
Live Audio
Live Video

Game #13
ART U Urban Knights (5-6, 1-2 PWC) vs. Chaminade Silverswords (0-8, 0-2 PWC)
Wednesday, January 11, 2012 at 5:00 PM HST
Honolulu, HI – McCabe Gymnasium
Live Stats
Live Audio

Game #14
ART U Urban Knights (5-6, 1-2 PWC) vs. BYU-Hawaii Seasiders (1-9, 0-2 PWC)
Saturday, January 14, 2012 at 5:00 PM HST
Laie, HI – Cannon Activities Center
Live Stats
Live Audio
Live Video

Game #15
ART U Urban Knights (5-6, 1-2 PWC) vs. Hawaii Pacific Sea Warriors (8-5, 2-1 PWC)
Monday, January 16, 2012 at 5:00 PM HST
Honolulu, HI – Neal S. Blaisdell Center
Live Stats
Live Audio/Video

ART U TO FACE FOUR HAWAII PACWEST SCHOOLS IN SEVEN-DAY SPAN
Up to the challenge in their first two Pacific West Conference contests of the 2012 calendar year, Academy of Art University women's basketball enjoyed a 60-59 victory over Dixie State to highlight this past week at home. Another daunting task now awaits the Urban Knights: four games in Hawaii over the course of one week. ART U matches up with Hawaii-Hilo, Chaminade, BYU-Hawaii, and then Hawaii Pacific in its longest roadtrip of the season.

OPENING TIP
The Knights' trip begins on Hilo (the Big Island) where ART U will meet Hawaii-Hilo for a Jan. 9 matchup inside UHH Gymnasium. From there, Academy of Art travels to Honolulu and McCabe Gymnasium for its contest against Chaminade on Jan. 11. The Knights then have two days off before they face BYU-Hawaii inside the Cannon Activies Center on Jan. 14. And the final game of the trip has ART U at Hawaii Pacific's Neal Blaisdell Center on Jan. 16. All contests are scheduled to tip off at 5:00 PM HST (7:00 PM PST). Live Stats, Live Audio, Live Video, and Twitter updates will be available for these games (see above). Remember to check @UrbanKnightNews on Twitter for score updates and recaps. Also become a fan of the Knights on Facebook by 'Like'-ing the Urban Knights page.

CRUNCHING THE CAPTAINS' NUMBERS
As consistent as they come, sophomore Alisa Griggs remains ART U's top scorer (12.7 ppg) and rebounder (8.0 rpg) with two more productive games this past week. Senior guard Devin London, who ranks 1st in the PacWest in steals (2.6 spg), racked up four thefts this past Thursday versus CBU to give her a total of seven games with three or more steals this season. London and Griggs also each surpassed the 300-point mark in their Urban Knight careers this past week. Senior guard Lorraine Etchell, who continues to build upon her program record of career points (730 currently), is on the verge of assuming possession of a second place ranking in several other career categories. She needs five blocks, nine steals, and 31 assists to move on up.

KNIGHT WATCH
Since the start of PacWest play, junior guard Jordan Rogers has been one of the top Urban Knights both offensively and rebounding the basketball. She has averaged 14.7 points and 8.7 rebounds per game over the last three conference contests including her season-highs of 21 points and 13 rebounds against Cal Baptist on Dec. 17. With a particularly memorable game in the win over Dixie State, junior forward Ariel Dale had six points, 10 rebounds, three assists, three steals, and the game-saving block. Also in that contest, junior center Juliua Fraser added a career-high 10 points off the bench. Junior guard Nicol Biesek currently holds team-highs in both assists (29) and blocks (15).

HUNTING HAWAII-HILO
As a team, the Vulcans may score the second fewest points in the PacWest, but it is their defense (58.3 points allowed per game) that has kept them 3-0 in conference play thus far. UHH started the year by losing five of their first six contests (including two to Alaska Fairbanks), but they did top BYU-Hawaii 58-42 in an early start to their PacWest season on Dec. 6. That contest also marked the return of PacWest Preseason Player of the Year Hillary Hurley to the lineup. Beginning Dec. 10, Hawaii-Hilo initiated its current five-game win streak with a 69-60 breakthrough against Alaska Fairbanks then a thrilling 49-48 victory over Montana State-Billings one week later. Most recently, the Vulcans knocked off Hawaii Pacific (53-50 on Jan. 3) and BYU-Hawaii again (72-59 on Jan. 5) thanks in large part to back-to-back 20+ point games from Kristen Shimizu. Hurley still leads the team with 13.9 points and 9.6 rebounds per contest. Over the three conference victories, Shimizu is averaging an impressive 16.3 ppg. The history between UHH and ART U has always favored the home team with the Vulcans holding a 3-2 series edge.

CHALLENGING CHAMINADE
Eight games into the season, the Silverswords are still looking for that illusive first victory. After opening the season as the Oahu Classic host where Chaminade fell to Wilmington (59-57 on Nov. 24) and to St. Agustine's (66-58 on Nov. 25), the Swords took their only roadtrip of the season to Hawaii Pacific where the Sea Warriors prevailed 77-71. In mid-December, CUH sustained two tough losses to Alaska Anchorage including a 100-45 lopsided result. The Swords, who HPU topped once again 88-55 on Jan. 5, end their current six-game homestand when Academy of Art comes to town. As the squad's leading scorer, Jordan Ahakuelo averages 9.9 points per game and carries a team-high 18 steals on the year. Dianna Zane deals out 3.5 assists per game for the Swords and Nikki Tauau is grabbing 5.6 rebounds per contest. The Urban Knights have gone 5-0 against Chaminade since joining the PacWest.

STILFIING THE SEASIDERS
The non-conference season has been a struggle for a 1-9 BYU-Hawaii team who began the year with an 81-62 defeat at the hands of Lewis (IL) on Nov. 24. Soon after, the Seasiders took an 88-27 loss versus Brigham Young in a Nov. 29 battle of BYU schools. BYUH's PacWest schedule started early with the aforementioned 58-42 loss to Hawaii-Hilo, but the Seasiders did split a pair on the road at Central Washington, winning the second 69-63 on Dec. 10. The final month of the 2011 calendar year saw BYU-Hawaii fall to Western Oregon (86-69) and MSU-Billings (67-54) before a recent 72-59 loss again to Hawaii-Hilo on Jan. 5. Shayla Washington, the PacWest's second leading scorer and fourth best rebounder, puts up 16.0 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. She is also in the conference's top six for steals per game (2.0) and has had consistent support from Taylor Mann who averages 10.4 points along with 7.9 rebounds per contest. BYUH will face off against Hawaii Pacific on Jan. 10 prior to hosting the Knights. When they do meet, it will be the sixth matchup of the two teams with Academy of Art leading 3-2 and having won three in a row.

PACIFYING HAWAII PACIFIC
The 2011-12 season has been a mixture of many things for the Sea Warriors (8-5, 2-1 PWC). It started off with two victories (both 60-41 scores against Saint Martin's and Cal State Dominguez Hills) before Washburn (KS) and UCSD evened the HPU record at 2-2. Hawaii Pacific, a team that has played eight neutral site contests thus far, then defeated Alaska Fairbanks 83-66 (Nov. 19), fell to Hillsdale 89-88 (Nov. 24), and proceeded to win four of its next five games including a 77-71 victory over Chaminade to start conference play on Dec. 4. The Sea Warriors are 1-1 in the new year following the 53-50 loss to Hawaii-Hilo (Jan. 3) and another 88-55 win against Chaminade (Jan. 5). HPU ranks in the upper tier of PacWest teams in numerous categories and at the forefront of their offense lies the conference's leading scorer and third-best rebounder Mana Hopkins (16.7 ppg, 8.4 rpg). While Hopkins can certainly do it all (1.9 apg, 1.0 spg, 0.9 bpg), she has also been supported by Skye Savini (13.6 ppg, 7.2 rpg) and Paris Gravely (13.0 ppg). The Sea Warriors have one game scheduled before Academy of Art; that being the aforementioned Jan. 10 contest against BYU-Hawaii. Hawaii Pacific may be 5-0 in the series with ART U, but the Urban Knights nearly knocked off HPU in an overtime thriller at Kezar Pavilion last season.

ART U STARTS 2012 WITH SPLIT AT HOME
Following a lengthy holiday break, Academy of Art University women's basketball returned to the court to take on the top two schools in the PacWest and the Knights nearly completed the week undefeated. Playing host to head coach LaNay Larson's former team Dixie State on Tuesday at Kezar Pavilion, ART U offered its best first half of the season. Academy of Art jumped out a 17-6 lead early with several of its offensive weapons on display. Etchell, Biesek, London, and Griggs all had layups in the first six minutes before Fraser got it going off the bench. The Knights held a double-digit advantage for much of the period as Biesek and Fraser combined to score 17 points on 8-of-11 shooting in the first 20 minutes. The Red Storm fought back with a 17-3 run to open the second half and later led by seven points with 8:36 to play. A spirited ART U comeback then came in the form of an 11-2 burst and then, with her team down by one in the final minute, Dale hit a jumper in the lane and promptly rejected Dixie's last gasp layup with two seconds left. The end result: ART U's first PacWest win, a 60-59 triumph.

Looking to go 3-0 at home, Academy of Art met the Cal Baptist Lancers once again on Thursday. The teams went back and forth in the opening half with neither squad ever gaining more than a six-point advantage. Rogers and London combined to score 20 of the Urban Knights' 31 points in that period, but it was CBU who led by five at the break. Although ART U used a 10-4 run to come within four midway through the second half, the Lancers hold their lead for the remainder of the game, earning a 79-69 victory at the conclusion.

LOOKING AHEAD
When the Urban Knights return home from their roadtrip, they will have rematches to play against two Hawaii schools, BYU-Hawaii (Jan. 21) and Chaminade (Jan. 23). Both contests will take place at Kezar Pavilion.