Box Score

San Rafael, Calif. (12/06/08) -- With 23 seconds left on the clock, sophomore forward KaUwila Lavea and junior point guard Sondra Stilwell ran the pick-and-roll perfectly at the top of the key. As Lavea rolled, Stilwell dropped the ball below two Penguin defenders and led Lavea to the basket for an easy two points. Lavea would make the lay-up and put the Urban Knights up by five en route to their first win of the season and the first for the Academy of Art Basketball program. The Dominican Lady Penguins (1-7) would not go down without a fight, however, as Alisha Flaaten would knock down a 3-pointer with 15 seconds on the clock but the basket was too little too late and the Urban Knights staved off the hosts to garner their first win, 68-66.

The first half was a back-and-forth battle seeing six lead changes and five ties. The Dominican offense was sparked by 3-pointer by Flaaten who ignited a 9-0 run which grew the DU lead to eight (14-6). An offensive rebound and put-back by junior guard Jacqui Heck sparked a 10-0 Urban Knights run as the visitors tied and eventually took the lead by two on a field goal by Stilwell. The two-point lead was their biggest of the half and the Penguins would go ahead by as many as four, but AAU battled hard and tied the game at half (33-33) on a 3-pointer from Heck with seconds on the clock.

The Knights scored first two points of the second half to take their fourth lead of the night. However, the Penguins' offense was proving to be a daunting task for the Urban Knights. The AAU defense was making stops but unable to convert on the other end. DU expanded their lead to as many as eight in the second half as the Urban Knights tried to find the extra energy to push them out into the lead. That energy came with 4:58 left in the game when freshman guard Lorraine Etchell made two free throws to tie the game at 57-57. In the very next Knights' play down the floor, senior guard Ali Tyson-Taufoou knocked down a 3-pointer and gave the Knights their second and final lead. The Knights would outscore the Dominican Penguins 8-7 in the final minutes and cruise to a 68-66 victory.

For Dominican University, Rachel Gomes and Alisha Flaaten each had 15 points to lead all scorers along with three and six steals respectively. Kelsey Janusch added nine points, five rebounds and four assists.

Five players finished with double-digit points for the Urban Knights. Stilwell contributed 14 points of the Knights 68 points, while dishing out seven assists and nabbing two steals. Heck, Etchell, and Tyson-Taufoou all finished with 11 points, and Lavea chipped in with 10 and nine rebounds. Tyson-Taufoou also secured 10 rebounds to lead all in the category for the night.

"I am extremely proud of my team for their tireless heart and determinism," Head Coach Lindsey Yamasaki said. "Tonight we willed ourselves to win. I know now we are capable of overcoming adversity and now I think they believe they can as well. We needed this win for our confidence."

The win snapped a seven-game losing streak and gave the Urban Knights their first win of the season and the school's first win in history improving their record to 1-7. With the loss, Dominican drops to 1-8.

Academy of Art University will take the floor next Saturday against Central Washington University game time is set for 2:00 PM at San Francisco State University.