RIVERSIDE, CALIF. – An impressive opening 11 minutes was not enough for Academy of Art (4-10, 3-5 PacWest) to overcome No. 5 California Baptist (16-1, 8-1 PacWest) on Monday night, falling to the Lancers 93-71.
 
The Urban Knights got off to a hot start in the first half, leading most of the way up until the 8:56 mark when CBU took a 24-23 lead. Up to that point, ART U overmatched the Lancers, shooting over 60 percent from the field. Freshman forward Luka Radovic was a big contributor out of the gate, going 5-for-5 and scoring each of the Urban Knights' first 10 points. ART U's biggest lead of the half came when senior guard Herman Pratt IV landed a triple from the right wing, making it a 5-point, 21-16 game with 10:54 remaining in the period. However, CBU managed to put together a streak of their own in the final minutes of the half, taking a 52-32 advantage into the locker rooms.
 
In the second half, the Lancers continued to build upon their lead. Despite a strong defensive effort, Academy of Art trailed by as much as 31 points with 11:09 remaining in the contest. Nonetheless, the Urban Knights would not go down easily, immediately responding with a 10-0 run to trim the lead to 24 points. CBU would not relinquish their lead however, outscoring ART U 41-39 in the second half to come away with the victory.
 
Radovic finished the game with a .500 field goal percentage (6-for-12) for a season-high and team-leading 17 points while also contributing seven rebounds.
 
"Luka has the ability to be a really special player," said head coach Julius Barnes. "His passion and drive to be as good as he can be are second to none. The scary thing is he's just getting started. As he continues to mature and develop, I believe he'll have to potential to be a perennial all-conference selection."
 
The Cacak, Serbia native also led a contingent of four Urban Knights to score in double-digit figures. The other three included: junior guard Uchenna Okeneme (14 points, four rebounds), junior guard Kendall Brown (12 points, eight rebounds), and Pratt (12 points, seven rebounds). As a collective, ART U has now seen four players contribute ten or more points in four-consecutive matchups and five times in the past six contests.
 
"The guys have done a great job of stepping up and filling the void created by the absence of Chris and Sergio," said Barnes. "There is no doubt that they are working hard. We just have to do a better job of recognizing that when teams make runs, execution on both ends of the floor is imperative."
 
Academy of Art now returns to San Francisco where they will host a rematch with Dominican on Thursday, January 19. The Urban Knights claimed the program's first-ever victory on the Penguins' home floor when they triumphed 79-71 on January 7.
 
"It's been a tough stretch for us, both physically and mentally," said Barnes. "Despite the results, there were some positives to take from each game. We look forward to the coming home stand, and the opportunity to continue to work towards our goal of making the conference tournament."