SAN FRANCISCO – Academy of Art University women's basketball simply did not back down from a 16-point second half deficit to Dominican on Wednesday night inside Kezar Pavilion. Fighting back with a relentless 17-0 run to end the third quarter and start the fourth, ART U gained a lead and made key defensive plays down the stretch to secure the 83-78 victory in Pacific West Conference play. Senior forward Helena Orts and redshirt senior forward Pre'Franz Dominick led the charge, combining for 43 points, 24 rebounds, and seven of the team's 11 blocks which tied the program's single-game record.

After the Penguins scored the game's first basket, the Urban Knights unleashed an 11-2 run to quickly gain an 11-4 lead. Both sophomore forward Ines Medina and senior guard Hayley Pryor both scored multiple baskets during the push and that advantage would hold up until late in the quarter when Dominican responded with a pair of 3-pointers during a 10-2 surge.

Though Academy of Art led after the first, the second quarter belonged to Dominican. The Penguins retook the lead on a Natalie Diaz layup just over three minutes in and built a 46-36 margin by halftime. The visitors went up by as many as 16 on multiple occasions in the third, the last of which came with two minutes and one second on the clock.

At that point, ART U made its move. Beginning with layups from Orts and Dominick, the Knights finished the quarter with five unanswered points and soon supplemented that spark with five more layups as the aforementioned 17-0 run ensued. When the dust had settled, Academy of Art was up 65-64 with 6:16 left and then it became a true dogfight.

The lead changed hands eight times after that, ending with a determined ART U possession in which Medina and Dominick grabbed offensive rebounds before Dominick converted the layup. Ahead 77-76, Academy of Art then settled into an impressive defensive sequence in which Dominick blocked shots on back-to-back Dominican possessions. Redshirt senior guard Jazzlynn Brewster would convert crucial free throws after one by Pryor and the Knights would secure the 83-78 victory as the final buzzer sounded.

Academy of Art collects its first win of 2018 and is now 3-14 overall this season as well as 2-7 in conference play. Orts ended the night with a team-high 25 points (on an efficient 11-of-22 shooting from the field) as well as 11 rebounds and two blocks. Dominick loaded the stat sheet with 18 points, 13 rebounds, and career-highs of both five blocks and five steals. Brewster added 16 points, eight assists, and five rebounds while Pryor had her second-highest scoring output of the season with 12 points. The Knights' 11 blocks as a team were the most since an overtime win on Feb. 14, 2013 versus No. 13 Grand Canyon.

Dominican, who has now lost three consecutive games, drops to 10-5 overall and 4-3 in the PacWest. Natalie Diaz, the conference's leading scorer, finished with a game-high 34 points plus 13 rebounds.

ART U will resume its four-game homestand this Saturday when a rematch with Holy Names tips off inside Kezar Pavilion at 5:30 p.m.