SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – In its second exhibition of the season against a NCAA Division I opponent, Academy of Art women's basketball rallied early en route to a first quarter lead over Cal Poly, but size and depth eventually led the Mustangs to an 87-65 inside Mott Gym on Tuesday evening. A consistent force throughout, junior guard Brianna Cates paced ART U with a 20-point, 10-rebound double-double.

"I was very impressed with our how our team made adjustments that allowed us to remain competitive all the way through," said head coach Camille Williams. "We're thankful to Cal Poly for allowing us to come play. They provided very well for us and it was a great opportunity to get better on the court. This game really prepared us for the pace we need to have."

Unfazed by the Cal Poly's 5-0 start to the game, the Urban Knights responded with a 13-2 run that started on Cates' layup and was then extended on 3-pointers by junior guard Josselyn Morris and Cates. The Mustangs fought back to make it a one-point contest before freshman guard Chanel Stuart provided two free throws to close the first quarter with Academy of Art on top 19-16.

"We were building off the lessons we needed to learn from our previous game against Santa Clara and we knew the traditional competitive nature of Cal Poly especially in their season-opener," said Williams. "I challenged our players to come out strong and make a statement at the beginning. We were able to give our players some freedom to shoot longer shots and the three-ball made a difference in that first quarter."

Just three points were scored in the first three minutes of the second quarter as both teams struggled to find a rhythm offensively. After trading triples (one hit by senior guard Inga Kot) accounted for one of five ties in the quarter, the end of the opening half saw a momentum shift to Cal Poly. The Mustangs got two 3-pointers in the final 25 seconds and headed to the halftime locker room up 38-31.

Junior forward Ines Medina drained a triple in the first minute of the second half, but an 8-0 run by Cal Poly allowed them to extend their lead. Despite the Mustangs shooting 58 percent from the field in the third quarter, Academy of Art lived at the free throw line, making eight of 10 in the quarter alone, and would not go away.

"Being down an additional player took its toll in the third quarter and second half, but as far as our execution, we did a good job with that," said Williams. "I complement our players for competing. No matter what, it's five-on five and we're all the same on the court."

A layup at the tail end of the third gave Cal Poly a 64-48 advantage which was later upped to 20 points, but a 6-0 response, on Medina and Cates layups as well as Stuart free throws, brought the Urban Knights back into it. The Mustangs, however, would regain their margin and held on to win 87-65.

For Academy of Art, Cates finished with a double-double taking the form of 20 points and 10 rebounds in addition to five assists. Stuart added 16 points and six rebounds while Medina rounded out the Urban Knights' double-digit scorers with 14 points.

"These exhibition games were excellent opportunities for us to identify the things we need to build upon," said Williams. "As we face other teams, the challenge is to know our strengths and knowing what we have to improve upon. We want to build our confidence and learn as well. Right now, we are in learning mode and it's important for us to see success in our improvement."

Cal Poly was paced by Devin Stanback's 18 points and seven rebounds along with 15 points from Gianna Silvestri in nine minutes.

The Urban Knights will officially begin their regular season this Friday, Nov. 9 in Hayward against Concordia (Ore.) as part of the Cal State East Bay Veteran's Day Classic.