Box Score

Bellingham, WA – Academy of Art University Women's Basketball made history in so many ways during its 2012-13 campaign, but the ride ended Saturday with a 70-50 loss to top-seeded Western Washington in the opening round of the NCAA Division II Tournament. ART U turned up its defensive pressure in the first half, taking a 27-24 lead at the break. However, the Vikings got hot from long range in the second half and used a 12-0 run to take command.

“[The loss] doesn't take anything away from the season we had,” head coach LaNay Larson said. “We had really lofty goals set at the beginning of season including a conference championship and making it to the NCAAs. To accomplish that in our first year of eligibility is a big step in the program. We ran out of gas tonight, but we definitely have a bright future. We turned the corner really quick. I don't think anyone would have put Academy of Art in the NCAAs at the beginning of the season.”


Though Western Washington charged up their home crowd inside Sam Carver Gymnasium with an 8-3 run to start, Academy of Art would come back to tie things up 11-11 via an 8-3 burst of their own. Senior Ariel Dale got her team going with a layup out of the media timeout and freshman Regina Camera later scored four quick to keep the momentum.

As the game see-sawed back and forth, freshman Jasmin Guinn nailed a jumper in the paint and senior Katy Wade added a layup to give ART U separate brief leads. WWU's Britt Harris, the Daktronics West Region Player of the Year, worked hard to get her team back up by three, 18-15, but a big 3-pointer by freshman Sha'Nice Storey fittingly assisted by freshman Zoie Sheng knotted the game up again 20-20.

Down the stretch in the opening half, Camera bombed another triple and that was later followed by a layup from Dale after her steal. The Knights forced five turnovers in the final 3:30 of the period and ultimately assumed a 27-24 lead on Dale's jumper in the paint.

Academy of Art had held Western Washington to its third-fewest points in a half (24) while scoring 14 points off of 13 Viking turnovers. In addition, WWU had been limited to just under 36 percent shooting from the field and less than 19 percent from beyond the arc.

“In the first half, we played some of the best defense we've played all year,” Coach Larson said. “I'm really proud of our effort. We forced 13 turnovers and eight steals, and that's a key for us.”

The start to the second half is where the game changed completely. The Vikings started with a 3-pointer in the first 12 seconds and proceeded to take a nine-point lead on a 12-0 run that featured nothing but layups and triples. ART U responded, however, going on an 8-0 run with back-to-back 3-pointers from Storey and senior Jordan Rogers.

“We talked about runs,” Coach Larson said. “They weren't going to shoot the ball like they shot in the first half, and we gave them too many wide-open attempts. [The 12-0 run] put us in a hole to begin with, and we couldn't match the intensity we had in the first half. Against a team like that on their home court, you can't go on like that.”

Though that second shot from distance made it a one-point game, 39-38, WWU's Katie Colard came back with a triple of her own. Rogers refused to be outdone though and came right back with her second 3-pointer of the game. Soon, a high-percentage shot inside from junior Alisa Griggs made it just a slim 42-40 margin, but that's when the Vikings unleashed an 18-2 run.

Western Washington showed how dangerous its offense could be by finishing off that push with three made 3-pointers. Guinn's layup stopped the run and Camera later nailed her second long ball off Sheng's assist to cut the WWU advantage down to 18 with 5:25 to play. Determinedly converting a three-point opportunity, Rogers helped bring her team to within 15 still with enough time to make a comeback, but Western Washington rolled to a 70-50 victory in the end.

“[Western Washington] is a great team,” Rogers said. “We didn't match their intensity all. We came out really flat in the second half, and that's when they got the lead. They went on a run, and we didn't come back from that. We kind of dropped our energy, and they pushed it from there.”

For the Urban Knights, Rogers offered a team-high 11 points and completes her senior year as the program's single-season scoring leader (416). Camera added 10 points and was a perfect 2-for-2 from long range. Dale delivered nine points with seven rebounds and two steals, finishing just two shy of the career thefts record set by current assistant coach Sondra Stilwell (150). Storey scored seven points off the bench while Wade added three steals and nine rebounds to complete her senior year with 308 boards in total.

Western Washington, the #1 seed in the West Regional and ranked #5 in the country coming in, improved to 26-3 overall with the win. All five of the WWU starters scored in double figures led by Harris' 15 points and 10 rebounds. Corinn Waltrip added 14 points and Colard delivered 12 points. Trishi Williams also finished with a double-double, posting 11 points with 11 rebounds. The Vikings take on Cal State Monterey Bay in the West Region Semifinals on Monday, Mar. 19.

Academy of Art will conclude its fifth season with a 23-9 overall record and as Pacific West Conference Tournament Champions (16-5 in PWC).