SAN FRANCISCO – A battle between Academy of Art men's basketball and UC Santa Cruz once again came down to the wire, as the Banana Slugs snuck away this time to secure a non-conference 64-60 victory.

In a first half that began a game which never saw a double-digit lead for either side, both ART U and UCSC remained competitive throughout as neither could shake one another to try and build up some insurance. The Urban Knights were the side that held the lead most often, obtaining it for nearly 30 minutes over the course of the game. By the end of the first half, it was ART U who managed to lead by four off 44.4 percent shooting from three-point-range, with the scoreboard set at 35-31. 

Although the two sides shot nearly the same from the field in the second half, 43.3 percent for UCSC and 42.3 for ART U, it was the Banana Slugs who managed to score eight more points, primarily by out rebounding 19-13. Though UCSC only led for two minutes in the closing frame, it was just enough as they assumed an advantage down the stretch to secure the 64-60 win on the road. The away team's last lead change came from a Caden Breznikar 3-pointer that gave his team a two-point margin with 30 seconds to go.

On ART U, senior forward Quintin Metcalf led his team in scoring with 13 points, while senior forward Isaiah Williams put up 12 to record his 20th double-double of the 2024-25 campaign. The strong defensive showing from the pair showed Metcalf managing to block four shots with a steal, while Williams stole four times with three blocks of his own. Junior forward Bryce Moore, who chipped in nine points all from beyond the arc, helped out on the defensive end as well in a big way, locking down defenders for 27 minutes while fellow junior forward Damarcies Moore provided a season-high eight points. Joe Espy led UCSC with 17 points and Zino Okah added on 16, scoring his 1,000th career point in the process.

Back in conference play this Saturday, the Knights will play host to Westmont with a 3:30 p.m. tip-off at Laney College Gym.