GAME #3
UC San Diego (0-0) at Academy of Art (1-1)
Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2014 – 1 p.m.
San Francisco – Kezar Pavilion
LIVE VIDEO/LIVE STATS | LIVE AUDIO
 
GAME #4
Simon Fraser (2-0) at Academy of Art (1-1)
Friday, Nov. 21, 2014 – 7 p.m.
San Francisco – Kezar Pavilion
LIVE VIDEO/LIVE STATS | LIVE AUDIO
 
SAN FRANCISCO — Coming off arguably its best-ever opening weekend, the Academy of Art University men's basketball team opens its 2014-15 home schedule this week with two games against West Region opponents, first against UC San Diego Wednesday and then Simon Fraser Friday.

The Urban Knights (1-1) host the Tritons (0-0) of the California Collegiate Athletic Association at 1 p.m. Wednesday at Kezar Stadium. On Friday Simon Fraser visits for a 7 p.m. tip-off. The Clan will be the Knights' third Great Northwest Athletic Conference opponent of the young season.
 
Academy of Art opened its season Friday with the biggest win in program history, defeating No. 22-ranked Seattle Pacific on its home court 70-67. Saturday the team carried that momentum into its game against Central Washington, overcoming a 14-point first-half deficit and holding the ball in the final seconds with a chance to win, only to fall 70-68.
 
ABOUT UC SAN DIEGO
Wednesday will serve as the Tritons' (0-0) season opener. UCSD has played in two exhibition contests against NCAA Division I competition, falling to Loyola Marymount 68-67 on Nov. 6 before losing at UC Riverside 75-52 on Saturday.
 
The Tritons were selected to finish ninth in the Preseason CCAA Coaches' Poll. UC San Diego completed its 2013-14 campaign with a 15-11 overall record and an even 11-11 mark in the CCAA, good for seventh place. The team returns four starters from last year, including junior forward Drew Dyer, the team's second-leading scorer at 12.4 points per game. Also coming back are sophomore guards Adam Klie and Aleks Lipovic, as well as junior guard Hunter Walker. Klie was tabbed the 2014 CCAA Freshman of the Year.
 
All-time Series: UC San Diego leads 4-0
Last Meeting: Nov. 30, 2013, UC San Diego won 77-59 in San Diego.
 
ABOUT SIMON FRASER
The Clan (2-0) will have plenty of playing experience from this season under its belt by the time it clashes with ART U on Friday. SFU played in two NCAA Division I exhibition contests against Idaho and UC Irvine before twice defeating Northwest Indian College by lopsided scores of 160-99 and 135-103, respectively, last week. The team will take on fellow Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association member Douglas College on Tuesday before traveling to California.
 
In two blowouts of NWIC Friday and Saturday, Sango Niang has been the Clan's leading scorer with 20.0 ppg. Niang has also averaged 9.5 assists in those two games. Adam Westfall is right behind him at 19.5 ppg, while Roderick Evans-Taylor has been the team's top rebounder at 6.5 rpg.
 
All-time Series: Academy of Art leads 2-1
Last Meeting: Nov. 23, 2013, Simon Fraser won 78-75 in Burnaby, British Columbia
 
STARTING ON THE RIGHT FOOT
Friday's win over No. 22 Seattle Pacific was not just the Urban Knights' first win over a ranked team. It also marked the second season in a row that ART U started its season with a victory. After losing its first five season openers in its history, Academy of Art has now won two straight. Last year the Knights defeated Cal State East Bay 97-80 to kick things off. Making Friday's win even sweeter was the fact that Seattle Pacific's defeat was its first in a season opener in nine years.
 
MOORE NAMED PACWEST CO-POTW
Senior guard Alexis Moore was named Pacific West Conference Co-Player of the Week Monday for the week of Nov. 10-16 after helping the Urban Knights to a 1-1 showing at the Sodexo Tip-Off Classic in Seattle.
 
Moore scored 18 points on both Friday and Saturday to lead ART U in scoring both nights. Friday he also contributed a team-high six rebounds, five assists and two steals to help spur the Knights to a 70-67 upset victory over host No. 22 Seattle Pacific. Saturday, in a 70-68 last-second defeat against Central Washington, Moore added four rebounds, three assists and a steal to his 18 points. For his efforts, the Long Beach, Calif., native was named the Sodexo Tip-Off Classic tournament MVP.
 
CONTRAST IN CLUTCH
The poise ART U held in the final minutes of Friday's 70-67 win over No. 22 Seattle Pacific was missing in the waning seconds of Saturday's 70-68 edging by Central Washington. In the final three minutes Friday, the Urban Knights went a perfect 4 for 4 from the free-throw line and 2 for 2 from the floor. Saturday they went 1 for 3 shooting and 0 for 1 at the line during that same time.
 
STAYING BUSY
This week's games are the beginning of a busy portion on the Urban Knights' schedule. ART U will play four games in 11 days starting Wednesday, though all games will be played within the San Francisco city limits. Following this week's two home games the Knights travel across town on Nov. 25 to San Francisco State, then return to Kezar Pavilion on Nov. 29 to face Western Oregon.