SAN RAFAEL, Calif. – It was a tough road ahead for Academy of Art men's basketball after the first half against Dominican on Saturday, but the Urban Knights were ready for the challenge as they mounted a monumental comeback that was capped off by a layup from redshirt junior guard Jalen Lovett with 24 second left to erase a 26-point deficit and earn their first victory of the season, 72-67. 
 
"I am so proud of our guys for the victory tonight," said head coach Scott Waterman. "Coming off a tough loss to Dominican last night, and falling behind by 26 in the first half we could have quit. However, these guys rallied and came together as a team and made one play at a time to get back into the game and eventually take the lead in the final minutes."
 
A night after ART U (1-1, 1-1 PacWest) found themselves on the losing end of a comeback bid, the Urban Knights were able to change the result with a similar game script in this Pacific West Conference contest, shooting at least 50 percent from the floor in back-to-back second halves of their season-opening contests. The comeback was largely powered by senior guards Dante Williams and Stefan Milivojevic, with the duo combining for 32 second half points. Williams would go on to post his first double-double of the young season with 20 points and a career-best 14 rebounds, tying him for fourth in rebounds in a single game in Urban Knights history. Milivojevic ended his night with 22 points on 6-for-13 shooting from the field.
 
It was ART U that opened the game with a quick scoring flurry, taking an 11-4 lead less than four minutes into the game, with five of those points scored by Lovett. It didn't take long for Dominican (1-1, 1-1 PacWest) to respond, as the Penguins scored 17 unanswered points to jump out to a comfortable lead. The lead would swell to as large as 26, but the Urban Knights were able to cut it to 22 at the break.
 
The second half started much the way of the first, with ART U kick-starting the action on an 11-2 run in the first four minutes. That push opened the door for the Urban Knights, though it wasn't until there was 52 seconds remaining that the Urban Knights would tie the game on a Milivojevic free throw. On the subsequent possession, the Urban Knights would come up with a big stop on defense, setting the stage for Lovett's late layup. It was a great defensive effort from ART U in the second half, holding Dominican to just 21 points on only 36 percent shooting from the floor.
 
"Our defensive presence was what allowed us to get back into the game, and we did a great job of not turning the ball over," Waterman said. "After only four days of practice since we returned to campus, we can use this victory to build for the rest of the PacWest season."
 
Lovett also wound up in double figure scoring by game's end with 12 points to go with four rebounds, while junior guard Christian Popoola Jr. snagged nine boards of his own. Two Penguins hit double digits in the scoring column, led by Christopher Williams II's double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds, while Adam Parker chipped in 11 points.
 
The Urban Knights will return to the court next Friday, Jan. 29 at 5 p.m. when they host Fresno Pacific from Walter Gleason Gym.