Game #33
ART U Urban Knights (24-8) vs. No. 5 California Baptist Lancers (28-2)
Friday, March 11, 2016 at Noon
Azusa, Calif. – Felix Event Center
Live Stats & Live Video

KNIGHTS TO DANCE WITH LANCERS IN THIRD NCAA TOURNEY APPEARANCE
After splitting a pair of games in the Pacific West Conference Tournament, Academy of Art University women's basketball heads south to Azusa Pacific to compete in its third NCAA Division II West Regional Championship Tournament. As the sixth seed of eight teams from the region, ART U is slated to tipoff a rematch against third-seeded California Baptist in the opening round this Friday. Visit the APU West Regional homepage here!
 

OPENING TIP
In the first round of the NCAA DII Tournament for the third time in the past four years, Academy of Art tips off against CBU on Friday, Mar. 11 at noon. ART U's semifinal game would be scheduled for 5 p.m. on Saturday, Mar. 12 and the championship game follows on Monday, Mar. 14 at 7 p.m. All contests will take place at Azusa Pacific's Felix Event Center and live coverage will be available via the links above. Remember to follow @ARTU_Knights on Twitter & Instagram and "Like" the Urban Knights on Facebook for score updates, videos, and recaps.

WEST REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNEY TICKETS
Tickets may be purchased at the door one hour prior to the start of each day (adult tickets may be purchased online using the link above) or by phone at (626) 815-5494. Tickets can be purchased online up to four hours before the event (please note that a convenience fee will apply to online purchases). The Felix Event Center Ticket Office is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., accepting VISA, MasterCard, and Discover, as well as cash and personal checks.

PRICES (all General Admission One-Day Tickets)
Adult: $12 | Seniors (age 55+): $5 | Students (student ID required): $5
Military (with ID): $5 | Children (age 2 & under): free

KNIGHT WATCH
Academy of Art comes into this week averaging 21.6 points off turnovers after moving up to the fourth in the country in turnover margin in turnover margin (8.2). ART U remains a top 20 team in a variety of statistical categories including assist-to-turnover ratio (sixth, 1.31), scoring offense (10th, 80.6 points per game), offensive rebounds per game (11th, 16.7), and steals per game (17th, 11.1).

The Urban Knights are led by two-time PacWest Defender of the Year and two-time All-PacWest First Team selection senior guard Jasmin Guinn who ranks fourth in all of NCAA Division II in steals per game (3.6). Six thefts away from 300 in her career, Guinn also paced the team offensively in both PacWest Tournament games and is now tied for third in the conference in scoring (19.7 points per game, 23rd in DII). Her 13 double-doubles rank 22nd in the country and she is fifth in the PacWest in offensive rebounding (3.0 rpg) and rose to eighth in field goal percentage (.442).

All-PacWest Third Team senior guard Regina Camera joins Guinn among the PacWest's top 10 scorers averaging 14.9 points per game and All-PacWest Second Team senior guard Zoie Sheng is right behind her at 14.5 points per game. Both Camera and Sheng recently surpassed 200 steals in their career. Camera combines her scoring average with 5.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 2.1 steals (fifth in PacWest) per game while Sheng ranks 21st in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.3) and now top 30 in assists per game (4.9).

All-PacWest Third Team senior guard Sha'Nice Storey set the program's new single-season record for 3-pointers made (77) and ranks fifth in triples made per game (2.4), connecting from long range with the seventh-highest percentage in the PacWest (.350). Two of her five triples against California Baptist on Mar. 4 came in the final three minutes and she averages 11.9 points per game currently.

#3 SEED CALIFORNIA BAPTIST
The 28-2 Lancers, ranked No. 5 in the country, reached the PacWest Tournament finals for the third straight year after defeating ART U 90-80 on Mar. 4, but California Baptist could not get past Azusa Pacific, falling 75-58. CBU still ranks first in the conference in scoring at 83.9 points per game and bring the PacWest's third-highest scorer in Cassidy Mihalko (19.7 ppg). However, it was Kamille Diaz who ended up being the biggest difference in the rematch after she made nine 3-pointers en route to a game-high 29 points. In the all-time matchup, the Lancers hold a 5-4 advantage.

#1 SEED AZUSA PACIFIC
First-time PacWest Tournament Champions and regular season champions with California Baptist, No. 13 Azusa Pacific has won its last 15 games and enters this weekend 27-3 overall. The Cougars have held opponents to a PacWest-low 60.0 points per game and recently surpassed ART U for the conference lead in steals per game (11.5). Kelly Hardeman is the team's leading scorer at 17.1 points per game (sixth in PacWest), but it was Cyndie Jones who earned PacWest Tournament MVP after nearly recording a triple-double in the championship game. APU is 4-3 all-time against the Urban Knights.

#2 SEED ALASKA ANCHORAGE
After being ranked atop the region virtually the entire season, a loss to Simon Fraser in the regular season finale contributed to No. 4 Alaska Anchorage's second seed. However, the Seawolves went on to avenge their SFU defeat and topple Montana State Billings 77-57 for the GNAC Tournament Championship. GNAC Player of the Year Megan Mullings (16.4 ppg) had was one of five UAA players to score in double figures in the win. Alaska Anchorage's narrow 87-82 win over ART U on Nov. 1 was the teams' first meeting to date.

#4 SEED UC SAN DIEGO
Despite coming into the CCAA Tournament ranked No. 19 in the country, UC San Diego (24-4) defeated Cal Poly Pomona then dropped a semifinal matchup to Cal State East Bay 79-77 in overtime. UCSD's leading scorer Jamie Katuna (18.2 ppg) posted a game-high 30 points in that one, but the Tritons' potential game-tying basket was denied in the extra period. The Knights have met UC San Diego once prior, defeating the Tritons 84-74 in 2014.

#5 SEED CAL STATE EAST BAY
The 27-4 Pioneers will make their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance after winning the CCAA Tournament Championship. Cal State East Bay won its final 13 games including victories over Humboldt State, UC San Diego, and Cal State Dominguez Hills to capture the title. Tori Breshers led all scorers with 23 points in the finale and was named CCAA Tournament Most Valuable Player. The Pioneers' overtime win over ART U on Nov. 28 was just their second in seven historical meetings.

#7 SEED CAL STATE DOMINGUEZ HILLS
Cal State Dominguez Hills had won its last five games before taking a loss to Cal State East Bay in the CCAA Tournament championship game. At 22-9, the Toros find themselves in the NCAA Tournament for the eighth time in program history and set to face Alaska Anchorage in the opening round. With one of their leading scorers out due to injury, CSUDH has relied on Breanne Garcia (18.3 ppg) who paced the team with 12 points and nine rebounds in the title game. Cal State Dominguez Hills carries a 2-1 lead in the all-time series.

#8 SEED MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
The Yellowjackets defeated both Northwest Nazarene and Western Washington to reach the GNAC Tournament championship game only to fall to Alaska Anchorage 77-57. Marissa Van Atta posted a double-double (17 points, 10 rebounds) in the loss while the team's leading scorer all year Alisha Breen (17.0 ppg) added 17 points as well. Earlier this year, ART U avenged a 2014 loss to MSUB in the NCAA Tournament with a 69-67 win in Montana on Nov. 14.

LONG RANGE BARRAGE HELPS CBU ESCAPE KNIGHTS
Although Academy of Art University women's basketball remained within striking distance throughout all 40 minutes of its Pacific West Conference Championship Tournament semifinal matchup, it was No. 3 California Baptist who ended up holding on for the 90-80 victory on Mar. 4. Converting 13 of their 34 attempts from three-point range, the Lancers were hot early, but saw a 12-point second half lead cut to one with seven minutes left and later six with just under a minute remaining. However, layups down the stretch enabled CBU to reach its third consecutive tournament final.

LOOKING AHEAD
The NCAA Division II Championship Tournament continues beyond Regionals with the Elite Eight set to take place Mar. 23-28 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota at the Sanford Pentagon.