Box Score

SAN FRANCISCO — After 44 minutes and 57.9 seconds Tuesday, the Academy of Art University men's basketball team still had the No. 16-ranked California Baptist Lancers on the ropes and prepped for an upset at Kezar Pavilion.
 
But in the final seconds of overtime, CBU's Gelaun Wheelwright was able to transition across the court and get to the hoop from the right side with 2.1 seconds left, making a layup to put the Lancers up 76-74. Herman Pratt IV's desperation 3-pointer from half court was too late, and the Lancers escaped with the two-point Pacific West Conference overtime win.
Senior guard Alexis Moore scored 18 of his team-high 20 points in the second half, joining three other players scoring in double figures to help lead the Urban Knights (3-5, 1-1 PacWest) back from an eight-point halftime deficit (34-26) – and a 10-point gap with 14:39 to play – and into a four-point, 67-63 lead with 21.6 seconds left.

GameTime PacWestMBB A photo posted by Be Artist. Be Athlete. (@artu_knights) on Dec 12, 2014 at 7:38pm PST

 
It was the No. 16 Lancers (8-1, 2-0 PacWest) who were playing from behind in the waning seconds of regulation. Wheelwright's first heroic moment for CBU didn't come in overtime, but rather as the buzzer sounded in regulation. With less than five seconds left on the clock and ART U with a 68-66 lead, Wheelwright ran the length of the floor and pulled up from eight feet away inside the paint to hit a game-tying jumper from the left side and send it into extra time.
 
Seconds before that, freshman guard Uchenna Okeneme missed his first of two free-throw attempts, keeping it at a two-point game instead of a 3-point lead for the Knights. Okeneme had made four straight free throws before that and went 5-for-6 Tuesday in the final 91 seconds of regulation. In his past two games, the defending PacWest Rookie of the Week has gone 9-for-10 on free throws in the final two minutes of regulation. Okeneme finished the game with 11 points, four rebounds, two steals and an assist.
 
Pratt gave ART U its four-point lead at 67-63 when he made one of two free throws. Down on the other end of the floor, the Lancers' Michael Smith missed a 3-pointer, but Eric Hunt grabbed one of CBU's season-high 25 offensive rebounds in the game to give them another chance. Ryan Berg hit his game-high fourth 3-pointer with eight seconds on the clock, making it 67-66 and leading to Okeneme's free-throw attempts.
 
In the overtime period the Urban Knights went 3-for-11 from the field after shooting 46.4 percent in the second half. ART U missed its first two shots and started the extra frame going 1-for-8, but stayed close by forcing four turnovers in the five-minute frame. The Knights made two of their final three field goal attempts, both to tie the game, but the Lancers made 4-of-6 field goals, including Wheelwright's game-winner, to come out on top.
 
Pratt was another double-digit scorer for Academy of Art with 12 points to go along with three rebounds, two steals and an assist. The Urban Knights had 12 steals in the game and forced 21 turnovers, getting 18 points off those turnovers and 10 fast break points in the game. Junior center Trent Stokes had his first double-double of the year with season-bests in points (16) and rebounds (10).
 
California Baptist won the game on the glass, outrebounding the Urban Knights 58-44, including a 25-16 advantage on the offensive boards. The Lancers got 18 second chance points, which made up for their performance at the free-throw line where they shot a season-worst 48.3 percent (14-for-29).
 
CBU also had four players score in double figures, led by Berg's 21 points. Wheelwright had 19, Taj Spencer had 12 points and eight rebounds (six offensive) before fouling out late in the second half, and Trevone Williams had 10 points and seven boards.
 
Academy of Art will hots its second-straight nationally-ranked PacWest opponent at 3 p.m. Saturday when No. 22 Azusa Pacific visits Kezar Pavilion.