SAN FRANCISCO – Locked in a close battle during Saturday's season-opening contest against SF State, a 3-pointer from junior guard Klay Brown would put Academy of Art men's basketball back on top for good as ART U earned a 77-73 victory at the SF State Tip-Off Classic, their first win in a season opener since the 2015-16 season. 

"I am really excited about the win tonight against a good SF State team," said ART U Head Coach Scott Waterman. "Being that this was our first time playing together, what really stood out was our competitiveness and how hard we played. We told the team that SF State was going to make runs, we weathered them and made some big plays on both ends when it mattered."

While the Urban Knights (1-0) held a double-digit lead midway through the second half, one of those runs from the Gators (0-1) would be a 7-0 span that cut the deficit to just two points before ultimately coming back to tie the game. SF State had the chance to take the lead from the free throw line but left the door open for Brown and the Knights after the miss on the second attempt from Eche Okeke. After sophomore forward Latrell Williams snagged his game-high 11th rebound off the miss, Brown would hit what ultimately became the dagger three, even with just under two minutes remaining. 

Tough defense would be key down the stretch, forcing a pair of misses from the Gators before redshirt junior guard Christian Popoola Jr. added the insurance. He scored the final four points for the Knights, burying a jumper in the paint before icing the game from the free throw line, ending a perfect 10-for-10 from the free-throw stripe (making him the fifth Urban Knight to be perfect at the line with 10 attempts in a single game). It would mark the first Academy of Art win over SF State in program history, having lost each of the nine previous matchups. 

The end of the contest was much closer to the action in the first half, where the two teams traded leads before ART U took a three-point lead into the break. Academy of Art started the second half on a 10-2 run, looking to seize the momentum and run away with the game. Though the Knights had built an 11-point lead on multiple occasions in the second frame, SF State would scuttle their way back to remain within striking distance. 

Most of the damage came from a trio of Urban Knights in Popoola Jr., Williams and graduate student guard Denny Slay, with Popoola Jr. leading all scorers with 24 points. Williams ended his night with a double-double by adding 17 points to his 11 boards, closing 8-for-16 from the floor, while Slay's 14 points were a crucial piece off the bench. 

"We have no time to rest, as we need to turn around and do it again tomorrow," Waterman said. "We have a lot to work on, but it is great to start the season with a win."

ART U will try to make it two in a row when they return to the court for the end of the SF State Tip-Off Classic tomorrow at 2 p.m. against Sonoma State.