MONMOUTH, Ore. – Staying right with Saint Martin's for the entirety of Saturday's contest, Academy of Art women's basketball executed a 12-0 run to rally in the fourth quarter, went ahead on a 3-pointer from sophomore guard Alba Rovira Ayuso, and subsequently blocked the Saints' last two shots to triumph 66-63 back inside Western Oregon's New PE Building as part of the GNAC/PacWest Conference Challenge.

"First off extremely proud of our response to the challenges that Saint Martin's gave us today and to be able to stay with our system on both ends especially in the fourth quarter was a signature moment in our program's progression this season," said Head Coach Jesse Clark. "Our defense is really based around how detailed we are and today I thought there was a high level of that. As a result, we were able to take some pressure off ourselves on the offensive end."

A triple by freshman guard Maddie Morrow started the scoring for ART U then, after three ties, SMU gained a bit of separation by closing the opening quarter on a 6-2 run, taking a 22-17 lead into the second. Consecutive layups by junior forward/center Christy Ojide in the first 30 seconds of the second frame kept Academy of Art close and the Knights would repeatedly threaten the Saints' advantage thereafter. ART U cut the margin to a single point four times before a 3-pointer in the final seconds put Saint Martin's ahead 40-35 going to the break.

The SMU lead swelled to double digits minutes into the second half, but a quick triple and layup by freshman guard Anna Fornells had the difference back to 47-43 midway through. Layups from Sifaoui and Rovira Ayuso brought the Knights to within two, but a 7-2 push by the Saints ended the third quarter with them in front 56-49.

Keying a 12-0 surge in the fourth frame, ART U approached Saint Martin's with a 3-pointer from graduate student guard Emilia Dougherty then successive layups by Rovira Ayuso and graduate student guard Briana Baker-Bruce gave the Knights a 60-59 lead, their first since just under eight minutes in the first quarter. Fornells drained her own triple and, though SMU retied the game at 63-63 thereafter, Rovira Ayuso nailed a deep 3-pointer to put Academy of Art ahead 66-63 with a little over two minutes left. Neither side would score in the final stretch as the Saints' two potential game-tying triples were rejected by Ojide and Sifaoui in the waning seconds.

"It was tough, especially after yesterday's game, but we never gave up and we all had each other's backs all the time so we were ready to make the big move and take the lead any time," Rovira Ayuso said. "I'm so proud of this team and how everyone contributed in many different ways. That's what made us win today and it's what we are going to keep doing through the season. We are so happy and willing to keep working on our game."

Finished with its first of two non-conference tournaments to begin the season, ART U moves to 1-1 overall after being led offensively by Rovira Ayuso's 19 points (on 7-for-12 shooting from the field) plus her six rebounds and three steals. Fornells provided 16 points (7-for-13 from the field), three rebounds, and three steals in 32 minutes off the bench while freshman guard Lucia Revenga finished with eight points and six rebounds. Impressing defensively, Ojide totaled three steals and two blocks across her 20 minutes of action.

"We are a brand new team and we're still figuring out each other's game," Fornells said. "We had moments of struggle in the beginning, but we have belief in each other and we have each other's backs so, with communication and a lot of hard work, we stayed together, finished strong, and brought the victory home. [This win] is so special for us because we work really hard every week and we love each other so having these results after all makes us so proud and want to keep growing for the next one."

Dropping to 0-2 overall on the year, Saint Martin's fell despite 20 points apiece from Sarah Lamet and Keeli Jade Smith.

Academy of Art will return to California for its next tournament, Stanislaus State's Warrior Classic, which features matchups with the host Warriors (Nov. 17) and Cal State East Bay (Nov. 18) in Turlock.

"I think we will travel home from the weekend with a lot of confidence that, when presented with the various challenges we face from our opponents, we can stay connected with our details - learn from our mistakes and then adjust and apply those adjustments inside the flow of the game," Clark said. "I am so proud of our group and the resilience they have shown this weekend."