SAN FRANCISCO – Fueled by strong offensive pushes in the first and third quarters, Academy of Art women's basketball triumphed over UH Hilo 64-52 for a Pacific West Conference victory inside Kezar Pavilion on Friday
evening. For the second consecutive game, sophomore forward
Lily Perkins scored a career-high to lead the Urban Knights' charge.
Two layups from Perkins bookended a 3-pointer by senior guard
Inga Kot as ART U jumped out to an early 7-1 lead in the first quarter. Though the Vulcans whittled the margin to three points five minutes later, junior guard
Karleigh Joseph nailed a triple of her own to spark a quarter-ending 7-2 run.
Quarter two started with a bit of a three-point contest and continued with a sequence of back-and-forth baskets. UH Hilo, however, closed the half on a 7-0 run to go from down five to up 30-28 at the intermission.
The third quarter proved to be a pivotal moment in the game as ART U outscored the Vulcans 19-8. It began with UH Hilo holding multiple three-point leads before a 10-0 run by Academy of Art permanently turned the tide. Junior forward
Ines Medina nailed her second triple of the game during the stretch and, after keeping the visitors to just three points for the remainder of the quarter, the Knights led 47-38 heading into the fourth.
In the fourth, a 7-0 surge highlighted by another Joseph 3-pointer proved crucial as it pushed the ART U advantage to double digits where it would stay for nearly the final four minutes of regulation. Fastbreak layups by junior guard
Brianna Cates and redshirt senior guard
Taloni Reese with just a minute left solidified what would finish as a 64-52 victory for Academy of Art.
The Urban Knights rise to 2-8 overall and carry a 1-6 record in PacWest play. Perkins surpassed her previous career-high with 20 points in addition to six rebounds and four steals. Cates contributed 15 points and Medina posted 11 points with eight rebounds. Three steals apiece came from freshman guard
Chanel Stuart and Joseph. ART U tied its season-high with 14 assists and its defense was able to covert 22 points off 22 turnovers.
UH Hilo falls to 4-7 on the year and 1-6 in conference despite a double-double (20 points, 14 rebounds) from Allie Navarette.
The Academy of Art homestand continues this Monday, Jan. 7 when Biola comes to Kezar Pavilion for a 5 p.m. tip-off.
