ST. GEORGE, Utah – The Urban Knights kept pace with the Red Storm for much of the first half before falling 98-68 at Burns Arena.
 
ART U kept DSU within reach for the first four minutes as the two teams traded buckets while the score switched sides twice. The Red Storm began to pull away at the 17:00 minute mark, going on a 7-0 run to make it 19-10. However, redshirt junior guard Sergio Valdeolmillos would turn around for a quick layup and then the Knights would force a turnover, allowing sophomore guard Jase Harrison to score a deep three. The score then read 17-21 with 12:22 remaining in the first half.
 
Dixie State turned up the heat for the next seven and a half minutes, creating a 20-point distance between themselves and ART U. On the other side of the court, Academy of Art would not let up their intensity and went on a 15-6 run to close out the last five minutes of the opening period; Harrison highlighted this stretch with eight points including five free throws. When both teams headed to the locker room, the Urban Knights only trailed by 11 (40-51).
 
In the second half, DSU was able to augment their game on both sides of the ball. In total, the Red Storm shot 63.6 percent from the field and 58.3 percent from beyond the three-point arc. Four of their players scored double digit points while Mark Ogden Jr. and Trevor Hill both reached totals in the twenties (22 and 24 respectively).
 
Dixie State's defense only permitted Academy of Art to score 28 points in the second half and held ART U's shooting to 35.2% overall. In addition, the Urban Knights turned the ball over 13 times which translated to 20 DSU points.
 
Despite struggling offensively as a whole, there were four ART U players to reach double-digit point totals. Harrison posted 21 points with five rebounds, landing two out of five three-pointers. 43 percent of Harrison's points came by way of the free throw as he went 9-for-12 from the line. Sophomore guard Uchenna Okeneme put up 13 points and three rebounds on the night while adding a steal and an assist. Senior guard Nick Cary also broke to double-digit barrier, adding 11 points and three rebounds to the Knights' cause. Cary highlighted the game's opening two minutes however, scoring back-to-back treys to give ART U the lead each time. Lastly, Valdeolmillos scored 10 points while rebounding two shots and assisting two scores. 
 
Academy of Art continues their road trip as they head to Irvine to play the PacWest's top team in the Concordia Eagles. Tipoff is 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 13.