SAN RAFAEL, Calif. – A very back-and-forth Pacific West Conference rematch between Academy of Art women's basketball and Dominican was tied with two and a half minutes left, but the Penguins finished on a 14-4 run that spelled the difference in an 85-75 win for the home team inside Conlan Center on Saturday afternoon. Freshman guard Milan Tuttle continued her impressive breakout over the last six games with a season-high 20 points plus her fourth time with four or more steals in her last five times out.

After being tied multiple times in the early going, the game initially swung in the Penguins' favor thanks to a 7-3 run, but ART U closed the opening quarter strong in response. Multiple baskets by freshman forward/center Christy Ojide bookended a 7-0 push which contributed to an 8-2 end to the quarter for a 19-17 Knights lead.

Tuttle added onto that with a triple on Academy of Art's first possession of the second, but Dominican countered with its own 9-2 surge and soon the game was tied for the third time at 26-26. Junior guard Lauryn Manns, Tuttle, and freshman guard Brooke Rodgers each recorded steals to fuel nine unanswered points (five by Tuttle) from ART U over the next three and a half minutes, building a 35-28 advantage approaching halftime. The Penguins, however, repeatedly got into the paint and closed the period with an 8-2 run that trimmed their deficit to 37-36 at the break.

Though Dominican took a lead less than two minutes into the second half, Rodgers and junior guard Chanel Stuart each hit jumpers to spark an 8-0 momentum shift when then had the Knights on top 47-41. The margin then grew to double digits briefly when freshman forward Alisha Wilson scored after an offensive rebound to make it 57-47, but the Penguins again began their comeback with six straight toward a 57-53 difference heading to the fourth.

Tuttle began the final frame with another 3-pointer and Ojide converted a layup thereafter to keep it a two-possession game yet five quick points had Dominican suddenly within one at 62-61. Manns converted a three-point play and added another jumper, but a four-point Academy of Art advantage with four and a half minutes left dwindled as Dominican scored seven straight. Tuttle knocked down a clutch triple to tie things up with two and a half on the game clock, but a 10-0 run that included eight made free throws essentially put the game out of reach despite a fifth 3-pointer from Tuttle with under a minute to play. The scoreboard read 85-75 with the Penguins victorious when all was said and done.

With the day's results, ART U moves to 11-8 overall and 8-4 in PacWest play while remaining fourth in the conference standings. Tuttle's 20 points and five 3-pointers made were both her highest totals of the season, coming with four steals, three rebounds, and two assists. Rodgers was one point back with 19 on the day plus seven rebounds and four assists while Manns added 11 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Wilson contributed 14 rebounds with her six points and Ojide put up 10 points and five rebounds in 17 minutes off the bench.

Despite rising to 9-5 in conference action and 12-9 overall, Dominican still sits behind the Knights at fifth in the PacWest standings. Riley Friauf finished with a game-high 31 points (13-of-13 from the foul line) plus five rebounds, three steals, and two blocks.

It will be a short turnaround for Academy of Art as the Knights host Concordia tomorrow, Feb. 6, back inside Tobin Gymnasium in Oakland at 2 p.m.