Box Score
Photo Gallery (images by Kenny Chacon)
San Francisco, CA -- The Academy of Art University men's basketball team came into Kezar Pavilion on Tuesday looking to defend their home floor in the first game of the PacWest schedule. And defend it they did, as the Urban Knights took a late lead against Point Loma Nazarene University and held strong down the stretch on their way to a 63-61 victory. The Sea Lions had a chance to tie and the final seconds but stout defense and key rebounds led to a win for Academy of Art.
The game was close throughout, featuring nine ties and ten lead changes, and it started in the first half, with neither team building an advantage larger than seven in the opening period. ART U got a three-pointer from
Alexis Moore to make it 15-8 with just under 13 minutes to go, but then Moore and the Knights got into foul trouble, as Point Loma six straight points from free throws to make it a one-point game. They eventually tied the game at 21-21 before Academy of Art got five points from
Alex Carmon and another key layup from freshman Herman Pratt to close the half up by a bucket at 28-26.
Out of the locker room, the Sea Lions got a layup from Hayden Lescault to tie the game, but ART U answered the bell when Carmon hit another three. Point Loma retook the lead with 16:12 to play on a triple from Marek Klassen, and it was off to the races. A slashing drive by
Sergio Valdeolmillos put the home team up 40-35, but another trey and a pair of free throws tied it up once again with 13:34 to play. That was part of a 9-0 run by the Sea Lions that gave them a 44-40 lead and put the Knights back on their heels a little bit.
But ART U dug in, with another layup from Valdeolmillos and then with both
Rodrigo Maza and Moore splitting free throws, tied the game up again for the sixth time at 44-44. It was again trouble from the line for the Knights that put the Sea Lions back into the game, as they made four straight free throws again to retake the lead. Later on it was another shot from the charity stripe that tied the game for the ninth time at 54-54 with 5:12 to play, and that's when Academy of Art made their play.
It started when Moore forced a turnover and took it to the other end.
Aaron Anderson missed the layup but
Aaron Aikman was there for the tip-in to give the Knights the lead with 3:45 left, and they wouldn't relinquish it the rest of the way. The Knights came up with a stop and it was the freshman Pratt again with a layup that made it a four-point game, and after another steal Pratt went to the free-throw line and made both to make it 60-54 with 2:19 to play.
Klassen hit a three-pointer for the Sea Lions, but Anderson and Moore both split free throws to keep it at a two possession margin with only 30 seconds to go. PLNU had two more chances, getting a layup from Lescault to make it a three-point game with 20 seconds to go, but Moore made one of two again with 17 seconds left to seal the deal. Klassen had a three-point attempt with nine seconds left, but Aikman came up big with the rebound and was fouled, and although Point Loma had one more shot by Junior Morgan to make it 63-61 with exactly one second left, the Knights got the ball in to Anderson, who dribbled out the clock to secure the victory.
Carmon led all scorers with 22 points and added 10 rebounds for his second double-double of the year. Moore added 11 points and Aikman had 10 points and nine rebounds, five on the offensive end. Both teams scored 35 points in the second half, and the Knights were able to capitalize on mistakes, as 15 of those 35 were off PLNU turnovers. Lescault had 21 points to lead the Sea Lions, while Junior Morgan had 15 points and 11 rebounds. ART U will host California Baptist University on Thursday night at 7:30 PM.
