SAN FRANCISCO – The comeback attempt fell short late in the second half as the Academy of Art men's basketball team dropped a 77-70 decision to Dominican inside Kezar Pavilion on Thursday.
 
A 10-2 run by the Penguins (1-9, 1-3 PacWest) started the Pacific West Conference contest, but it was answered when ART U (3-7, 1-2 PacWest) had a 10-0 run of their own. The two teams traded leads for nearly six minutes until a 3-pointer from Christopher Williams II gave Dominican a lead they wouldn't surrender. Despite 10 first half points from junior forward Adrian Byrd-Jelinek, the Urban Knights were facing a five-point deficit at the break, 35-30. 
 
The Urban Knights hung around early in the second half thanks to shooting 51 percent from the field, but the lead ballooned to as many as 14 points at the eight-minute mark. Not even 13 second half points from junior guard Stefan Milivojevic and eight from junior guard Dante Williams could undo the damage and Dominican would end up securing the PacWest victory, 77-70. 
 
Finishing with a season high in points was Byrd-Jelinek, as he dropped a team-high 16 on 7-for-10 shooting from the field. He was two rebounds short of a double-double, as he also grabbed a game-high eight boards. Equaling Byrd-Jelinek's point total was Milivojevic, while Williams pitched in a season-best 14. 
 
Five Penguins finished in double-digits, led by Jordan Williams with 19. Lazar Djurovic and Williams II each had four assists, while Djurovic led DUC with eight rebounds. The win was No. 100 in the coaching career of Dominican head coach Booker T. Harris. 
 
The Urban Knights will get the chance to end the calendar year on a winning note when they play their final contest of the 2019 calendar year against Notre Dame de Namur on Saturday, Dec. 21 at 3:30 p.m. back inside Kezar Pavilion.