SAN RAFAEL, Calif. – Academy of Art University men's basketball began its 2015-16 season on a winning note Friday evening, triumphing over Cal State Monterey Bay 75-72 to start the CCAA/PacWest Challenge. Inside Dominican's Conlan Center, ART U shot over 50 percent from the field in the first half and outlasted the Otters led by three Urban Knights scoring in double figures.

"I was very pleased with our effort tonight," said head coach Julius Barnes. "I thought the guys came out with great focus and energy, especially in the first half. Monterey Bay made some plays down the stretch, but our guys showed great resolve and we were able to come away victorious against a very good opponent."

Out of the gate, Academy of Art was simply on fire shooting. ART U hit its first four shots including 3-pointers by sophomore guard Jase Harrison and junior forward Herman Pratt IV. A 12-3 Knights lead continued to expand as two new roster additions produced almost quickly after entering the game. Freshman guard Cobe Williams and junior forward Chris Salas both knocked down shots as the teams began to trade baskets.

After a Salas triple forced Academy of Art's largest lead of the half (12 points) midway through, the Otters came back with an 8-0 run only to see ART U make three straight layups. Salas continued to make significant plays, stealing the ball and scoring on the fastbreak then later connecting from distance to push a 13-point advantage with two and a half minutes left. An acrobatic Pratt layup finished the half with the Knights on top 44-35.

Hot long range shooting kept Cal State Monterey Bay close to start the second period and though the Otters came as close as two points midway through the half, Academy of Art did not relinquish the lead. Williams connected for his second triple and senior center Trent Stokes delivered a jumper to maintain the ART U margin.

CSUMB once again threatened down the stretch with a pair of layups, but Harrison and Pratt provided responses with a jumper and free throws respectively. In one of the most crucial possessions with 1:37 on the clock, senior guard Nick Cary broke through the Otters defensive rebounders to grab a missed jumper and quickly put it back, keeping the ART U lead at five, 72-67. A Cal State Monterey Bay 3-pointer with 49 seconds left cut the lead to three and, after a wild sequence in the final seconds, Alex Fertig launched a potentially game-tying triple which rimmed out to give Academy of Art the victory.

Academy of Art starts the year 1-0 led by a game-high 19 points on 7-for-11 shooting from Harrison. In his first game in the ART U red and black, Salas finished with 17 points including a 3-for-4 performance from long range. Pratt added 16 points on an efficient 5-for-7 shooting from the field. Stokes grabbed a team-high six rebounds.

"I think that the guys did a tremendous job of drawing defenders and hitting the open man," said Barnes. "We've really tried to establish ball movement and making the extra pass and I think the high shooting percentage is a reflection of that."

Cal State Monterey Bay (0-1) was led by Fertig's 19 points and three steals while Ryan Nitz added 14 points and seven rebounds despite six turnovers.

The Urban Knights return to Conlan Center tomorrow for a 5:30 p.m. matchup with Sonoma State who defeated Dominican 68-63 in Friday's nightcap.

"Tonight was a big win for our young team, but we'll have to be ready for an entirely new challenge tomorrow," said Barnes. "We'll break down the film and look at what we did well and look at ways to improve upon some of our deficiencies."