Game #10
ART U Urban Knights (6-3, 1-2 PacWest) vs. APU Cougars (8-3, 3-1 PacWest)
Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022 at 3:30 p.m.
Belmont, Calif. – Walter Gleason Gym
Live Stats and Video
ART U Game Notes 12-17-22

Game #11
ART U Urban Knights (6-3, 1-2 PacWest) vs. BU Eagles (7-3, 3-1 PacWest)
Monday, Dec. 19, 2022 at 3:30 p.m. *ALS Awareness Day*
Belmont, Calif. – Walter Gleason Gym
Live Stats and Video
ART U Game Notes 12-19-22

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Fresh off of its first Pacific West Conference win of the season that saw them overcome a double-digit deficit for the second time this season, Academy of Art men's basketball has two of the top teams in the conference coming to town as the Urban Knights play host to Azusa Pacific in a rematch of last season's PacWest Tournament Final on Saturday before battling Biola on Monday for ALS Awareness Day in the final games before the holiday break. 

TIP-OFF
Both games are scheduled for the same tip time, as the ball gets in the air at 3:30 on Saturday against the Cougars with Monday's clash against the Eagles follows suit. Remember to follow @ARTU_Knights via the athletics app (Apple App Store, Google Play Store) and on Twitter & Instagram, as well as "Like" the Urban Knights on Facebook for score updates, videos, and recaps.

Monday's game will be ALS Awareness Day. ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that attacks nerve cells and pathways in the brain and spinal cord. Patients in the later stages of the disease are totally paralyzed, yet in most cases, their minds remain sharp and alert. Every day, an average of 15 people are newly diagnosed with ALS and as many as 30,000 Americans may currently be affected by ALS. To help support research, advocacy, nationwide care services, and ALS-specific clinical care, please click here to donate.
KNIGHT WATCH
A pair of second-half runs helped Academy of Art capture its first Pacific West Conference victory of the season in its only game of last week against Chaminade, as one last 9-2 run captured the lead for good leading to a 74-71 final. ART U overcame slow shooting at the start of the contest to finish 28-for-64 (43.8 percent) of their looks from the field. The win ended the recent two-game skid for ART U and marked the second in the past three games over Chaminade, with senior forward Mike Asante and graduate student guard Deang Deang leading the way in scoring with 17 points apiece (season-high in scoring for both).
 
After winning the first four games of the season for the first time in program history (all opponents in the CCAA), ART U has dropped three of their past five games including their first two PacWest contests against Point Loma and Concordia. However, the wins in came against formerly No. 19 Saint Martin's (first win over ranked opponent in 2022) and their most recent time on the floor over Chamiande (first PacWest win). This is the first time since 2018-19 that ART U was defeated in its first two PacWest games, with the losses occurring to the same two teams, however that season culminated in ART U's first ever PacWest tournament appearance. Four of the six wins have come away from home (2-0 on neutral site), three have been by double-digits (SF State, CSUEB, Chico), four have been second-half comeback efforts (SFSU, CSUEB, SMU, CUH), and two have been double-digit comebacks (SFSU, CUH). In only one game each have the Knights never trailed (Chico) or never led (STAN).
 
ART U has scored 75 or more points in five of their nine contests this year (5-0, 80.4 ppg in those games), twice topping 80 points in consecutive games with a high of 85 against CSUEB. However they have fallen below the 75 point mark four times including each of their past three games (68.8 ppg) with only one win in such contests (CUH; 1-3), leading to a total season average of 75.2 ppg. Shooting from downtown has been crucial, making an average of 8.6 triples per game with a clip of 39.1 percent (77-for-197). They had made at least half of their attempts from deep in three consecutive games prior to Stanislaus (high of 55.0 percent, 11-for-20), and have shot above 40.0 percent from three-point range five times. Ball movement has been key, recording double-digit assists in each of their first six games (14.7 apg over that span) and eight of nine total games (13.4 apg), with a season-best of 19 against Chico (only seven against PLNU).

Four times has ART U totaled double-digit steals, with a season-high of 15 against Sonoma State. That leads to a current season average of 9.6 per game (78 total), and they are on pace to finish with 267 by season's end (second-most in ART U history). In the battle on the boards, ART U has snatched 360 rebounds (40.0 per game) to the 316 of their opponents (35.1 per game), four times grabbing 40 or more with their season-best coming against PLNU by snatching an eye-popping 52 rebounds.

Not only does senior guard Klay Brown's 12.8 ppg lead the Knights in scoring, he also leads ART U in rebounds (6.8 per game, sixth in PacWest). His ball movement has been supreme, recording four or more assists in four times leading to an average of 3.1 apg (28 total), which is tied with sophomore guard Rodney Munson for the team lead and ninth in the PacWest. Meanwhile, graduate student guard Will Balata is just shy of Brown with 12.7 ppg, and has been money from downtown where he shoots 65.2 percent (15-for-23). Also into double-digit scoring is Asante at 10.7 ppg, while Deang (9.3 ppg) falls just shy of that mark. Pacing the team from the field is sophomore forward Jamal Fuller, shooting a team-best 52.8 percent (28-for-53) shooting from the floor. Defensively, Brown has notched multiple steals in all but one game (high of four twice) for a team-best average of 2.6 (23 total), with both marks leading the PacWest. Sophomore guard Rodney Munson trails shortly behind with 2.1 per game (19 total).

HERE KITTY KITTY
Third in the PacWest standings is preseason PacWest favorite Azusa Pacific, as despite being tied for the best overall record at 8-3, the Cougars are most recently coming off a loss to fellow PacWest powerhouse Point Loma 73-61 to drop their conference record to 3-1. Prior to that defeat, APU had won each of their previous seven contests, six times scoring above 75 points in that span. Though they rank just sixth in the conference in scoring offense (73.3 ppg), their scoring defense (65.9 ppg allowed) ranks second to help them remain in third in scoring margin at +7.4. Much like the Knights, the long ball plays an important role for the Cougars as they shoot 39.0 percent (117-for-300) from beyond the arc, as they lead the conference in both total 3-pointers and 3-pointers per game (10.6 per game; only team to average double-digit triples). Its a well-rounded scoring attack for APU, as only Ken West averages double-digit scoring at 13.8 ppg, though there are three others to average 9.6 ppg or better. West is the top threat on the boards for APU with an average of 5.2 rpg, while Hayden Gray's 3.5 apg top the team and rank sixth in the conference. Despite ART U getting the better of APU in last year's PacWest Conference Tournament Final 73-70, the Cougars had won each of the previous 13 meetings and lead the all-time series, 14-2. 

FLY LIKE AN EAGLE
Biola currently enters as winners in five of their past six games, with three of those wins coming in conference play including their most recent result of a dominant 83-63 win over Concordia. The only loss over that span has come to Point Loma, where the Eagles fell just shy 87-79. Much like Azusa Pacific, the Eagles enter a middle of the road scoring offense (74.2 ppg; fourth in PacWest) but pair it with the toughest defense in the conference (64.6 ppg allowed) to help them post the single-best scoring margin in the PacWest at +9.6. They have knocked down 46.0 percent (269-for-585) of their looks from the floor, second-best mark in the conference, and they are the only team to best Academy of Art in rebounds with a PacWest-leading average of 40.3 rpg. Three Eagles hit the double-digit scoring average led by Daniel Esparza at 15.2 ppg (ninth in the PacWest), while Alex Wright chips in 13.8 ppg. Meanwhile, Maximo Milovich nearly averages a double-double by scoring 11.8 ppg and pulling down 9.6 rpg (most in PacWest). Wright has also been a ball-mover, recording 3.1 helpers per contest to rank eighth in the PacWest just ahead of Munson and Brown. Last year's season series saw Biola capture a two-point thriller in overtime before the Knights defended their home floor in a strong win, but Biola still holds the edge in the all-time series 4-3. 

SECOND-HALF RUNS EARN URBAN KNIGHTS FIRST PACWEST WIN
Though a slow start out of the gate led to a double-digit deficit in the first half for Academy of Art men's basketball, they saved their best for last as a late 9-2 run was the key for ART U to outlast Chaminade down the stretch to earn their first Pacific West Conference win of the season 74-71 in front of their home crowd on Saturday. 

LOOKING AHEAD
ART U will have the chance to play one final time in the calendar year of 2022, as the Urban Knights embark on a short road trip that begins at Holy Names on Dec. 30 to close the year before taking on Fresno Pacific on Jan. 2 and Saint Mary's in non-conference action on Jan. 3.