Game #13
ART U Urban Knights (3-9, 3-4 PacWest) vs. Hawaii Pacific Sharks (6-6, 4-1 PacWest)
Sunday, January 8, 2023 at 1 p.m. HT (3 p.m. PT)
Honolulu – The Shark Tank
Live Stats | Live Video

Game #14
ART U Urban Knights (3-9, 3-4 PacWest) vs. Chaminade Silverswords (1-12, 1-6 PacWest)
Tuesday, January 10, 2023 at 5:30 p.m. HT (7:30 p.m. PT)
Honolulu – McCabe Gymnasium
Live Stats | Live Video

Game #15
ART U Urban Knights (3-9, 3-4 PacWest) vs. UH Hilo Vulcans (5-6, 2-3 PacWest)
Thursday, January 12, 2023 at 5 p.m. HT (7 p.m. PT)
Hilo, Hawaii – Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium
Live Stats | Live Video

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TO TIP OFF TRIO OF GAMES IN HAWAII
Academy of Art women's basketball, winners of two straight games since the return from the winter break, continues its road swing with three Pacific West Conference contests against Hawaii Pacific, Chaminade, and UH Hilo in Hawaii.

TIP-OFF
Beginning its inter-island trip on Oahu, the Urban Knights will face Hawaii Pacific inside The Shark Tank in Honolulu on Sunday, Jan. 8 with tip-off set for 1 p.m. HT (3 p.m. PT). Two days later on Tuesday, Jan. 10, it will be a PacWest rematch as ART U remains in Honolulu for a 5:30 p.m. HT (7:30 p.m. PT) meeting with Chaminade inside McCabe Gymnasium. Then, after a flight to Hilo, Academy of Art goes up against UH Hilo inside Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium on Thursday, Jan. 12 at 5 p.m. HT (7 p.m. PT). 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.

KNIGHT WATCH
Registering 10 or more steals in four of its last five games, Academy of Art remains among the PacWest's top five in steals per contest (8.58) while coming off a season-high 20 free throws made against Fresno Pacific on Jan. 2 which held ART U's season free throw percentage at .717 (fourth in PacWest). The 50 and 53 point totals allowed by the Urban Knights' previous two opponents were the second and third-lowest marks of the season which has kept Academy of Art at fifth in the conference in scoring defense (opponents scoring 64.5 points per game).

Named PacWest Defender of the Week for the first time this season after averaging 10.5 defensive rebounds per game with three steals and a block, sophomore forward/center Alisha Wilson is riding the momentum of career numbers in a 28-point, 22-rebound double-double versus Holy Names on Dec. 30 and a 16-point, 15-rebound double-double most recently versus FPU to give her six double-doubles on the season (20th in NCAA Division II), four in consecutive contests, and 20 in her career (fifth in ART U history). Wilson is ranked first in the PacWest at 11.7 rebounds per game (seventh in NCAA DII), which includes the country's second-highest offensive rebounds per game average (5.1) to go with 14.7 points per game (fourth in PacWest) and a .495 field goal percentage (third in PacWest). She has added 2.0 steals per game (ninth in PacWest) after recording two or more in six of nine contests.

Also averaging more than double digits offensively (10.8 points per game) as well as 2.3 steals per contest (third in PacWest), sophomore guard Jadence Clifton comes off a 15-point effort versus the Sunbirds in which she made a season-best seven free throws for the third time this year to contribute to her .754 percentage at the foul line (seventh in PacWest). Two 3-pointers in each of her last two games has kept freshman guard Madison Johnson inside the conference's top five in triples made per game (1.9). Sophomore forward/center Christy Ojide turned in a career-high 22 points against HNU with 12 rebounds for her first double-double of the season while her two blocks in that game helped her remain third in the PacWest at 1.2 rejections per contest in addition to 10 th in rebounds per game (6.9).

ATTACKING THE SHARKS
After starting the season with three losses, Hawaii Pacific righted the ship with three straight wins over Chaminade and UH Hilo before dropping two of three in the Sharks' own Hoops in Hawaii Classic. HPU has since become 6-6 with its fourth conference win, a 70-41 triumph over Point Loma taking place most recently on Jan. 5. Offense is the name of the game for Hawaii Pacific who ranks second in the PacWest in points per contest (72.3), doing most of its damage at the free throw line where the Sharks are also second in the conference in terms of percentage (.752) with 28 more makes than the next closes team. HPU adds the highest rebounding average (44.1 per game) with Abby Spurgin second in the PacWest individually in that category (9.4 rebounds per contest) while ranking first in both scoring (26.0 points per game) and blocks per contest (2.3). A sweep of last year's season series put ART U now back of HPU 15-8 in the historical matchup.

CROSSING THE SWORDS
Chaminade bounced back from its 86-48 loss to Academy of Art on Dec. 10 with a nine-point victory over Holy Names, but the Silverswords have since dropped five straight and are slated to face Point Loma on Jan. 7 prior to the rematch with ART U. One of CUH's strengths has been its rebounding, coming into the weekend in a battle for the second-highest average at 39.3 boards per contest despite having no players among the conference's top 20 in rebounds per game. The Silverswords' leading scorers thus far have been Olivia Crigler (12.5 points per game, 11th in PacWest) and Dallas Martinez (12.0 points per game, 14th in PacWest), the latter of whom scored a team-high 19 points last time versus the Knights. In 23 previous meetings (including this season), Academy of Art has logged 20 victories over Chaminade.

VISITING THE VULCANS
Beginning its 2022-23 campaign with three wins in its first four games, UH Hilo had built up steam heading into PacWest play, but Hawaii Pacific took two of the first three from the Vulcans. Two victories over Chaminade helped keep UH Hilo's conference record even prior to a 56-51 loss to Point Loma on Jan. 3. Before facing ART U next week, the Vulcans are set to meet Concordia on Jan. 7 followed by Dominican on Jan. 9. Efficiency on both ends of the court has kept UH Hilo second in the conference in points allowed (61.3) and first in lowest opponent field goal percentage (.370) while also fourth in points per game (67.1). For the PacWest's top team in assist-to-turnover ratio (+1.5), Mindy and Mandy Kawaha are second (4.0) and fourth (3.5) respectively in assists per game with the former also offering the second-highest scoring average in the conference (18.7 points per game). Though UH Hilo prevailed at home last season, Academy of Art won the next two matchups (including the opening round of the PacWest Tournament) to elevate to 11-9 all-time.

URBAN KNIGHTS OPEN 2023 ON WINNING NOTE, TOP FPU 66-53
Steadily improving as the game went on, Academy of Art women's basketball began the calendar year with a 66-53 triumph over Fresno Pacific inside the Sunbirds' Special Events Center on Jan. 2. Another double-double for sophomore forward/center Alisha Wilson and 15 points from sophomore guard Jadence Clifton propelled ART U to outscore FPU 33-20 in the second half including a difference-making 9-1 run, resulting in the team's second consecutive Pacific West Conference victory.

LOOKING AHEAD
When the Urban Knights return from Hawaii, they will open a four-part homestand with Concordia on Jan. 19.