LA MIRADA, Calif. – Resuming its Pacific West Conference slate down in Southern California on Thursday evening, Academy of Art women's basketball could not find the answer for Biola's runs in the first and third quarters of an eventual 66-46 Eagles victory inside their own Chase Gymnasium.
Though the game's first move was made by the home team up 10-3 to start, senior forward
Yasmine Sifaoui soon provided a three-point play then added to sophomore guard
Maddie Morrow's 3-pointer with one of her own as an 8-0 run yielded a 16-16 score. BU, however, ended the quarter ahead 22-16 following two more triples then used a 7-0 push early in the second quarter to establish a double-digit advantage.
Sophomore guard
Lucia Revenga knocked down a 3-pointer to stop the surge then later joined junior guard
Alba Rovira Ayuso in converting points in the paint on back-to-back possessions to keep the Eagles' halftime margin, 35-27, at single digits.
The Urban Knights had the lead down to eight points two and a half minutes into the third frame, but a 15-3 run by the home side separated the teams by 20 heading into the fourth where they primarily traded baskets to the 66-46 final.
"I want give tremendous credit to Biola and the intentional way they came after us tonight," said Head Coach
Jesse Clark. "Unfortunately, we did not show the type of togetherness needed to respond to the effort and tempo we knew they would bring to the game. We will learn, grow, and get ready for Saturday."
ART U starts the calendar year with records of 7-5 overall and 1-4 in PacWest play. Pushing her current streak of double-digit scoring efforts to six, Sifaoui ended with 16 points on 5-for-10 shooting from the field plus five rebounds while Revenga provided nine points, five rebounds, and two steals off the bench. Freshman guard
Violet Stutz grabbed a season-high six rebounds (four on the offensive glass) and freshman forward
Keira Mitchell added six points in only 13 minutes of action.
Biola improves to 2-11 on the season and 2-3 against conference opponents after 18 points apiece came from Laila Walker and Jessa Thurman.
A rematch with Point Loma is up next for Academy of Art as the Knights travel to San Diego for a 2 p.m. tip-off this Saturday.
