Game #7
ART U Urban Knights (1-5, 0-0 PacWest) vs. Azusa Pacific Cougars (6-3, 0-0 PacWest)
Thursday, December 7, 2023 at 5:30 p.m.
Atherton, Calif. – Haynes-Prim Pavilion
Live Stats | Live Video

Game #8
ART U Urban Knights (1-5, 0-0 PacWest) vs. Chaminade Silverswords (2-5, 0-2 PacWest)
Sunday, December 10, 2023 at 1 p.m.
San Francisco – Kezar Pavilion
Live Stats | Live Video

CONFERENCE GAMES, HOMESTAND COMBINE FEATURING APU, CUH
At home for the first time this season, Academy of Art women's basketball matches up with Azusa Pacific this week and Chaminade over the weekend in what will also be the start to Pacific West Conference action.

TIP-OFF
ART U plays its first PacWest game of the season this Thursday, Dec. 7, tipping off against Azusa Pacific at 5:30 p.m. inside Menlo College's Haynes-Prim Pavilion in Atherton. Academy of Art continues conference play by hosting Chaminade from Kezar Pavilion at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 10. 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
Ranked fourth in the conference in field goal percentage (.413), three-point percentage (.311), and assists per game (14.2), Academy of Art currently has five players averaging over 8.0 points per game led by sophomore guard Alba Rovira Ayuso (12.5 points per game, eighth in PacWest). Rovira Ayuso adds team highs of 5.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game while remaining a perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line. Freshman guard Lucia Revenga has provided 10.3 points per game along with 2.5 steals per game (second in PacWest) while freshman guard Anna Fornells checks in at third on the squad with 9.2 points per game. Tied with Rovira Ayuso at 5.7 rebounds per contest, junior forward/center Christy Ojide's .524 field goal percentage has helped her average 8.8 points per game and she is delivering 1.0 blocks per contest (sixth in PacWest) as well. The conference's current leader in three-point field goal percentage (.371), freshman guard Maddie Morrow is also second in the PacWest at 2.2 three-point field goals per game toward her 8.2 points per contest.

CHALLENGING THE COUGARS
Having been picked to finish first in the PacWest Coaches Preseason Poll and nationally ranked to open the year, Azusa Pacific began the season 4-1 with victories over CSU Pueblo, Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State San Marcos, and Seattle Pacific. Losses to Western Washington and Cal State LA would follow, but the Cougars rebounded by topping Cal Poly Humboldt and Western Oregon in late November. First in the PacWest in assists per game (16.7) and second in both assist-to-turnover ratio (+1.2), turnover margin (+4.0), and steals per game (9.2), APU carries the current conference scoring leader in Kelly Heimburger (16.2 points per game) as well as the PacWest leader in both assists per game (4.7) and assist-to-turnover ratio (+2.3) in Paige Uyehara. Thursday will be the 18th meeting of Academy of Art and Azusa Pacific with the Cougars in front 14-3 historically.

CLASHING WITH CHAMINADE
After defeating Evergreen State and Multnomah to begin the year, Chaminade has dropped five straight including conference matchups with Westmont (66-60) and Fresno Pacific (66-55). The Silverswords can be found atop the PacWest in both free throw percentage (.714) and three-point field goal defense, holding opponents to .234 thus far. Offensively, CUH has relied upon the tandem of Sameera Elmasri (13.1 points per game, fifth in PacWest) and Dallas Martinez (12.7 points per game, seventh in PacWest) as both are among the conference's top five in free throw percentage with over 30 attempts apiece. ART U has won each of the last four pairings with Chaminade, building its historical advantage to 21-3.

KNIGHTS SHARE HOT OPENING QUARTER, WILDCATS END WITH WIN
In its final non-conference contest of the season, Academy of Art women's basketball shot over 64 percent from the field while combining with Chico State to score 55 points in the first quarter, but the Wildcats took the 89-68 victory inside Acker Gymnasium on Nov. 25.

LOOKING AHEAD
ART U's first two PacWest games on the road will finish the 2023 calendar year as a Southern California trip takes the Urban Knights to Biola (Dec. 16) and Concordia (Dec. 18).