Game #1
ART U Urban Knights (0-0) vs. Western Oregon Wolves (0-0)
Friday, November 10, 2023 at 7:30 p.m.
Monmouth, Ore. – New PE Building
Live Stats | Live Video

Game #2
ART U Urban Knights (0-0) vs. Saint Martin's Saints (0-0)
Saturday, November 11, 2023 at Noon
Monmouth, Ore. – New PE Building
Live Stats | Live Video

Prepared to pen a new chapter, Academy of Art women's basketball brings plenty of fresh energy and determination to the court in 2023-24. Debuting Head Coach Jesse Clark and his coaching staff are set to guide an already tight-knit squad with considerable international experience into the Pacific West Conference season ahead.

Two non-conference tournaments open the year for ART U as GNAC/PacWest Conference Challenge host Western Oregon (Nov. 10) is first up followed by Saint Martin's (Nov. 11) in Oregon. Academy of Art then heads to Turlock to meet Warrior Classic host Stanislaus State on Nov. 17 as well as Cal State East Bay (Nov. 18). Prior to the first PacWest games of the season, the Knights will remain on the road in their matchups with Sonoma State (Nov. 22) and Chico State (Nov. 25). Official conference action comes with ART U's home opener as Azusa Pacific (Dec. 7) will be in town as well as Chaminade (Dec. 10) before the calendar year finishes with the first of three regular season trips to Southern California where Biola (Dec. 16) and Concordia (Dec. 18) await.

Much of January will see the Urban Knights on the road, but 2024 opens with Academy of Art hosting Hawaii Pacific on Jan. 2 before a brief trip to the conference's newest addition in Westmont (Jan. 5). Three games on the Hawaiian Islands, at HPU (Jan. 11), CUH (Jan. 13), and UH Hilo (Jan. 15), give way to a local road contest at Dominican (Jan. 20) ahead of ART U completing the month at home against CUI on Jan. 25. The Knights will return to SoCal for a rematch with APU (Feb. 1) and their first look at Point Loma (Feb. 3) then start a stretch of six of their next seven games at home with Westmont (Feb. 8), Fresno Pacific (Feb. 10), UH Hilo (Feb. 17), and DUC (Feb. 22) all in the Bay Area. The last stretch leading to the postseason includes a road game at FPU (Feb. 24) plus two home contests versus BU (Feb. 29) and PLNU (Mar. 2). Hosted by Point Loma this year, the PacWest Championship Tournament will take place in San Diego Mar. 7-9. To view the 2023-24 schedule, click here!

One of two returners, senior guard Ashana Hinds is back following a debut season in which she ranked among the conference's top 20 in 3-pointers made per game (1.8). She joins a pair of incoming graduate student guards with proven prowess on offense in Briana Baker-Bruce and Emilia Dougherty, who bring experience from Rogers State and Chabot College most recently.

The Urban Knights' two-part junior class features another returner in forward/center Christy Ojide plus forward Yasmine Sifaoui, a transfer from Midwestern State hailing from Madrid, Spain. Ojide finished 2022-23 ranked fourth in the PacWest in blocks per game (1.2) as well as top 20 in rebounds per game (5.9) and enters this year just 20 rejections from achieving a new ART U career blocks record. Also bringing collegiate experience to the squad is sophomore guard Alba Rovira Ayuso. Originally from Valencia, Spain, Rovira Ayuso spent last year with Farleigh Dickinson and has previously guided teams to the postseason in her home country.

Guards Maddie Morrow and Karereatua Williams, who joined the program mid-season last year, have returned and help make up a collection of five freshmen on the team with fellow guards Lucia Revenga, Anna Fornells, and Lola Martin. Both from Spain, Revenga and Fornells share history of achieving championships as the former contributed to a national title with her Madrid State Team and the latter was recognized as the best in Catalonia with her HVAL Championship while playing basketball for Pius Font i Quer.

Academy of Art unitedly steps toward a new standard of excellence this Friday in the start of its 2023-24 journey.