Game #10
ART U Urban Knights (6-3, 2-0 PacWest) at Biola Eagles (5-4, 1-1 PacWest)
Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023 at 7:30 p.m.
La Mirada, Calif. – Chase Gymnasium
Live Stats | Live Video

Game #11
ART U Urban Knights (6-3, 2-0 PacWest) at Concordia Golden Eagles (4-4, 1-1 PacWest)
Monday, Dec. 18, 2023 at 3:30 p.m. 
Irvine, Calif. – CU Arena
Live Stats | Live Video

STORMING THE BIRDS' NESTS
Academy of Art looks to keep the momentum going as they will face off in just two more contests before the holiday break that includes Pacific West Conference matchups on the road down in Southern California against the Biola Eagles and Concordia Golden Eagles.

TIP-OFF
Saturday's contest with the Eagles will commence at 7:30 p.m., and Monday's meeting with the Golden Eagles is scheduled to get underway at 3:30 p.m. 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
Academy of Art has had quite a bit of recent success within their current four-game win streak that includes a perfect 2-0 start to conference play with victories over Azusa Pacific on Dec. 7 and Chaminade on Dec. 10. In their most recent match against Western Oregon on Dec. 13, the Urban Knights found themselves cruising to victory with a big lead just minutes into the second half. The contest contained multiple season-highs in points including the team overall (99), junior guard Rodney Munson (18), and redshirt sophomore guard Eli Taylor (13). Senior forward Latrell Williams put up double-digit points of his own (15) while he is coming off PacWest Player of the Week recognition while another Knight who received the award earlier this season in junior forward Jamal Fuller co-led the team in points with Munson (18).

While the squad, with their 6-3 overall record, currently stands towards the top of the standings within the PacWest (third place) while being currently undefeated in conference in the young season, individual Knights have shown in various moments to prove big plays can come from anyone on the team at any time. With Latrell Williams (Dec. 11) and Fuller (Nov. 27) already taking home PacWest awards of their own, junior guard Treylon Payne is another, as he's received the Defender of the Week honor this past month on Dec. 4, making it three straight weeks an Urban Knight has received a PacWest honor.

Fuller is second within the PacWest in points per game (20.6) and Latrell Williams is in the same spot when it comes to rebounds (8.0). Latrell Williams and Payne lead the conference in steals per game (2.3) with Munson (2.2) and junior forward Isaiah Williams (2.1) right behind who are both within the top five. As a team, the Knights collect 12.7 takeaways per contest which is near the current leaders in the country at the NCAA Division II level (sixth place).

The Knights' strong defensive play and smart offense over the course of the beginning of their season places them on top of the PacWest in turnover margin (8.33), which stands alone as second-place Chaminade sits behind them in the rankings with a 2.27 margin. As they lead the conference by more than six per game, ART U ranks near the top of the list in turnover margin as well within the DII level (fifth). Not only do the Knights dominate when it comes to defense, as they are also a huge offensive threat when it comes to putting up points. ART U currently leads the conference in average points per game as a team (83.1).

BLITZING BIOLA
While they haven't won back-to-back games since early November, the 5-4 Eagles are coming off a recent double-digit road victory over Westmont while Biola lost to Concordia just a few days before. Nathan Medina is the Eagles' lead offensive threat, as he averages the most points on the team (18.4, fourth in PacWest) while simultaneously being the most-seen player in minutes on average on the court for Biola (34.3). Coming off a PacWest Defender of the Week award, Maximo Milovich clears the PacWest rankings in rebound average (8.4). As a team, Biola sits in fourth place within the PacWest in average points per game (76.0), compared to ART U's first-place ranking (83.1). The Knights currently hold a three-game win streak against the Eagles, with all three contests finalizing with a lead of 13 or more. ART U leads the all-time series over Biola 5-4.

FLY LIKE A GOLDEN EAGLE
Although they were the winner of the matchup against Biola just last week, Concordia is coming off a loss from their most recent contest against Point Loma. In the game, the Golden Eagles had the lead at the break, but gave up a 42-point second half to see their advantage fade down the stretch of the endgame. Concordia ranks towards the bottom within the PacWest in defense (ninth place), as they give up 76.1 points per game. Tim Adetukasi leads CUI in points per game (14.5) with three other members of the squad right behind in the double-digits which includes Jackson Tucker (13.3), Kobre Sanders (11.5), and Connor Gleason (10.1). While Adetukasi leads the team in points, he also does in rebounds (7.4 average). The Knights were the most recent victors when they matched up against the Golden Eagles, cruising to victory in a 94-63 blowout last season on Jan. 19, 2023. CUI holds the current all-time lead over the Knights 7-5.

ART U RECORDS SEASON-HIGH IN POINTS IN 99-72 WIN OVER WOU
Academy of Art men's basketball set themselves apart from Western Oregon on Dec. 13 in a game that the Urban Knights led by double-digits for more than half of the contest and set a new season-high in points in their dominant 99-72 showing over the Wolves in their last non-conference battle in 2023.

LOOKING AHEAD
ART U's next time they see the court will be in 2024, as they will take on Hawai'i Pacific at home on Jan. 2 inside Kezar Pavilion starting at 3:30 p.m.