BELMONT, Calif. – In a battle of two teams very much contending for a spots in the Pacific West Conference Tournament, Academy of Art women's basketball made its 5-1 run at the end of the first quarter the ultimate difference as the Urban Knights never trailed and held off UH Hilo in the late stages for a 56-47 victory inside Walter Gleason Gym on Sunday. Both freshman forward/center Christy Ojide and junior guard Lauryn Manns scored season-highs while adding important defensive contributions in the rematch as well.

"The fact we were able to get the lead early and hold them off shows our growth as a team in terms of clock management and executing down the stretch," said Head Coach Krystle Evans. "We also did a good job of limiting them to one contested shot compared to the last time we played them."

Two teams familiar with one another after playing on Jan. 13, the Knights and Vulcans went back-and-forth to start, tying six times in the first nine minutes of action. The 14-14 deadlock was then broken by freshman forward/center Alisha Wilson's jumper and a buzzer-beating triple by freshman guard Milan Tuttle that gave ART U a 19-15 lead after one quarter.

Five straight points from Ojide composed a 5-0 run early in the second, increasing the margin to eight at 24-16. A 6-1 response from UH Hilo kept the visitors close, but free throws by freshman guard Brooke Rodgers in the final seconds pushed the difference to 27-22 at the half.

A hot start to the third quarter saw Manns score, redshirt sophomore guard/forward Hailey McCoy knock down a 3-pointer, and Ojide convert free throws in a 7-0 start that made the lead double digits. The remainder of the frame, however, saw the Vulcans claw their way back before just four points separated the teams heading to the fourth.

There, a steal and a bucket by Manns sparked a 6-1 beginning and, though UH Hilo was again back by four at 47-43 with over three and a half minutes left, a key three-point play from Tuttle was followed by an offensive putback from Ojide and free throws from Manns helped seal the 56-47 victory.

Sporting its highest win total since 2016-17, Academy of Art improves to 12-9 overall and 9-5 in PacWest play to currently tie Biola for the fourth spot in the standings. Manns not only broke out with a season-high 18 points on 5-for-10 shooting from the floor and a perfect 8-for-8 day at the foul line, but she also racked up a season-best five steals plus five rebounds. Ojide finished 6-for-7 from the floor with her season-high of 15 points in addition to 11 rebounds (her fourth double-double of the season) and two blocks. Tuttle also stuffed the stat sheet with nine points, five rebounds, and four assists.

"I'm extremely proud of both Christy and Lauryn," Evans said. "This is Christy's second consecutive double-double; her confidence is growing and her teammates continue to find her. Lauryn is one of the best two-way players in the conference. She's our X-Factor; when she's rebounding and finishing at the rim we are hard to beat."

Still very much alive toward a PacWest Tournament berth, UH Hilo starts its Northern California roadtrip with a 10-8 overall record and 7-7 conference record. Jenna Waki led the Vulcans with 13 points while adding seven rebounds.

When ART U next takes the floor, it will be to continue its final month of the regular season against Hawaii Pacific this Thursday, Feb. 17 back inside Walter Gleason Gym.

"Heading into the HPU game, we have to focus on maintaining our intensity defensively and keeping teams off the free throw line," Evans said. "With low numbers we have to pay close attention to detail and maximize our opportunities on both sides of the ball."