CHICO, Calif. – Academy of Art men's basketball had its quest for the first 3-0 start in program history stopped on Wednesday night, battling close in a comeback effort against Chico State but ultimately falling short in non-conference action, 71-61.
A 9-0 run from the Wildcats (3-0) midway through the second half seemed to be the turning point in the game, but the Urban Knights (2-1) responded with tight defense by holding Chico State without a bucket for the next 12 minutes. Offense slowly scored over that time but ART U was able to cut the deficit to three points on two different occasions, coming within one possession after graduate student guard
Deang Deang was able to convert three-point play when he was fouled on a layup while driving down the lane with just under four minutes to play.
That would be as close as Academy of Art could come as a Chico 3-pointer from Malik Duffy, who finished with a 13-point and 11-rebound double-double, would be the final dagger to put away the Knights. Defense was one of the keys to the matchup, as the Wildcats flipped the switch in the second half after ART U had shot a combined 52.2 percent from the field in the first frame.
Likewise, the defense by Academy of Art was what kept them in the game through the second half, as seven different players would nab a total of nine steals in the game (the third consecutive game of at least nine steals). Overall, the Knights had forced a total of 17 Wildcat turnovers, much higher than Chico's average of 10.0 per game over the first two contests.
Providing a team-high 14 points off the bench was graduate student forward
Adrian Byrd-Jelinek, closing the game on 6-for-8 (.750) shooting after he originally started 5-for-5 in the first half. Also in double figures were the duo of Deang and junior guard
Klay Brown, as Deang followed up
his perfect shooting performance last time out with 13 points tonight while Brown pitched in 12 points with six rebounds. Leading on the glass was sophomore forward
Latrell Williams, snatching seven boards with six points.
The road trip concludes this Saturday, Nov. 20 as the Knights travel to Southern California to take on the Coyotes of San Bernardino beginning at 2 p.m.
