Game #10
ART U Urban Knights (6-3, 0-2 PacWest) vs. Fresno Pacific Sunbirds (5-4, 1-1 PacWest)
Friday, December 13, 2024 at 5 p.m.
San Francisco – Kezar Pavilion
Live Stats | Live Video

PACWEST ACTION BRINGS SUNBIRDS TO BAY AREA FOR ART U MATCHUP
Academy of Art women's basketball gets its first look at Fresno Pacific this Friday as Pacific West Conference play begins its second week.

TIP-OFF
Kezar Pavilion will once again be the site for the Urban Knights' 5 p.m. tip-off against FPU on Friday, Dec. 13. 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
Despite falling in its first two conference matchups, Academy of Art still holds the third-best overall record in the PacWest at 6-3 on the year by way of wins over SF State (Nov. 8), Cal State Monterey Bay (Nov. 9), Cal Maritime (Nov. 12), Stanislaus State (Nov. 16), Sonoma State (Nov. 21), and UC Merced (Dec. 1). As a team, the Urban Knights remains top three in the conference in a host of statistical categories including rebounds (41.8), assists (15.4), and 3-pointers made (8.9) per game as well as field goal percentage (.405) and opponent field goal percentage (.342).

Pushing its current streak of having at least seven different players score to nine games this season (15 straight dating back to the end of last year), Academy of Art now has identical scoring leaders in senior forward Yasmine Sifaoui and junior guard Alba Rovira Ayuso both at 10.9 points per contest. Having converted from different areas on the court, Sifaoui has moved up to fifth in the PacWest in field goal percentage (.506) while Rovira Ayuso is eighth in 3-pointers made per average (1.9). Other Knights among conference statistical leaders are senior forward/center Christy Ojide Boiko, who averages 6.9 rebounds per game (eighth) and 0.9 blocks per game (seventh) to tie with freshman forward Keira Mitchell, as well as sophomore guard Anna Fornells, who is at 1.9 steals per game (seventh), and sophomore guard Lucia Revenga, who now offers 3.1 assists per contest (seventh) after dishing out 11 in her last two games. Emerging with nine or more points and three 3-pointers made in each of her last three games, redshirt freshman guard Karereatua Williams is one of nine Urban Knights averaging over 4.0 points per contest.

HERE COMES THE SUN(BIRDS)
Picked to finish fourth in the conference during the preseason, Fresno Pacific has never won or lost more than two games in a row thus far, defeating the likes of Sonoma State, SF State, Cal State East Bay, Cal State San Bernardino, and Biola while falling to Chico State, Cal State Monterey Bay, Stanislaus State, and Westmont. The Sunbirds are holding opponents to just 56.4 points per game (second in PacWest) on a .335 field goal percentage (first in PacWest) while sharing the conference's lead in rebounds per game (42.1) as the tandem of Bre Hurt (10.2 points and 5.0 rebounds per contest) and Jayla Green (9.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per contest) are at the forefront. Having met ART U 23 times previously, the historical matchup only slightly favors FPU at 12-11.

ACADEMY OF ART STARTS STRONG, PLNU CLOSES ON TOP
In front by five points at the end of the first quarter and within striking distance throughout the second half including midway through the fourth, Academy of Art women's basketball went toe-to-toe with Point Loma on Dec. 7 inside Kezar Pavilion, but the Urban Knights' diversified production and impressive bench contributions could not prevent PLNU from capturing the 70-59 victory.

LOOKING AHEAD
Just one more game remains for ART U in the 2024 calendar year as Academy of Art hosts Chaminade on Dec. 21.