Game #6
ART U Urban Knights (3-2) vs. University of Alaska Fairbanks (3-6)
Friday, December 9, 2011 at 5:00 PM AST
Anchorage, AK – Wells Fargo Sports Complex
Live Stats

Game #7
ART U Urban Knights (3-2) vs. #10 University of Alaska Anchorage (5-2)
Saturday, December 10, 2011 at 5:15 PM AST
Anchorage, AK – Wells Fargo Sports Complex
Live Stats
Live Audio
Live Video

KNIGHTS MATCH UP WITH ALASKA TEAMS IN FINAL TOURNEY
ART U women's basketball showed its ability to perform under pressure with two dramatic come-from-behind victories in its most recent trip to St. George, UT for the Dixie State Thanksgiving Classic. Now the Urban Knights are set to take part in the AT&T Hoops Classic where they will face a pair of tough Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) opponents in Alaska Fairbanks and host #10 Alaska Anchorage. This two-day event represents the third and final tournament of Academy of Art University's non-conference season.

OPENING TIP
Academy of Art will begin the AT&T Hoops Classic with a game against Alaska Fairbanks on Friday, Dec. 9 with tipoff scheduled for 5:00 PM AST (6:00 PM PST). On Saturday, Dec. 10, the Knights finish off the tournament with a matchup against #10 Alaska Anchorage at 5:15 PM AST (6:15 PM PST). All contests will take place inside UAA's Wells Fargo Sports Complex and Live Stats as well as Live Audio and Live Video will be available. Remember to check @UrbanKnightNews on Twitter for score updates and recaps. Also become a fan of the Knights on Facebook by 'Like'-ing the Urban Knights page.

KNIGHT WATCH
As a team, ART U currently ranks at the top of the Pacific West Conference in steals (13.8) and second in blocks per game (4.0). The squad's leading scorer is none other than sophomore forward Alisa Griggs (14.6 ppg) who went for a career-high 21 points in her last outing against Western Oregon and ranks second among the PacWest leaders. Senior guard Devin London (13.2 ppg) is another Urban Knight among the conference's top 10 scorers (particularly after her recent 29-point outburst which tied the program scoring record) and she also remains firmly ahead of any other PacWest player in steals with 3.4 per game. After playing in her first two games of the season in the Dixie State Thanksgiving Classic, junior guard Jordan Rogers is averaging 9.0 points per game while senior guard Lorraine Etchell follows with 8.0 ppg. Junior guard Nicol Biesek serves as the team's leading rebounder with 6.2 rpg.

NEUTRALIZING THE NANOOKS
The Nanooks (3-6) were dealt two losses at home (77-62 to Dixie State and 72-59 to Minot State) to start the year, but they would right the ship by winning three of their next four games. In Hilo, HI for the Vulcan Classic (Nov. 18-19), UAF routed Hawaii-Hilo 67-42, then fell to Hawaii Pacific 83-66. Alaska Fairbanks would remain in Hawaii for one more day, defeating UHH once again before returning home for the Mt. McKinley Bank North Star Invitational. The Nanooks went 1-2 as the host school in that tournament, topping Western State and dropping contests against West Liberty and Lenoir-Rhyne. Most recently, UAF sustained a 78-29 defeat at the hands of their local rival Alasaka Anchorage on Dec. 3. On five out of nine occasions, Fairbanks' leading scorer has been Nicole Bozek who consequently averages a team-high 14.1 points per game. She is also the squad's top rebounder, pulling 8.7 rebounds per contest to rank third in the GNAC. Friday will be the first ever meeting between Academy of Art and Alaska Fairbanks.

ALMIGHTY ALASKA ANCHORAGE
As one of the toughest opponents Academy of Art will face this year, Alaska Anchorage (5-2) comes into Saturday's game ranked #10 on the ESPN/USA Today Division II Top 25 poll (Dec. 6). An overwhelming favorite to win the GNAC in a preseason coaches' poll, UAA has lived up to the hype thus far. In its first four games of the year, Alaska Anchorage went 4-0 and averaged over 92.0 points per game during that span. The Seawolves topped Minot State, Dixie State, and Dominican twice all by large margins before falling 77-55 to Division I #7 Miami on Nov. 23 as well as Central Michigan (90-84 in overtime) in the Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout. Since that pair of losses, UAA has returned to its winning ways with the aforementioned resounding 78-29 victory over Alaska Fairbanks. Haley Holmstead paces the Seawolves in scoring, averaging 14.4 points per game while Hanna Johansson is not far behind at 13.7 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. UAA has outrebounded all seven of its opponents thus far and a big reason is Kaylie Robison's 10.6 rebounds per game which rank second in the GNAC. Alaska Anchorage is not only the top offensive team in the GNAC (84.0), but they also own the best defensive statistics (only 56.9 points allowed per game). UAA faces Hawaii-Hilo prior to meeting Academy of Art. Saturday is the first ever meeting between the Urban Knights and Seawolves.

ART U EXITS DIXIE THANKSGIVING CLASSIC A PERFECT 2-0
In the words of head coach LaNay Larson, Academy of Art “grew up as a basketball team” over their past two victories. At the Dixie State Thanksgiving Classic on Nov. 25-26, the Urban Knights rallied late to defeat both Cal State Los Angeles and Western Oregon.

Beginning with CSULA, ART U had a three-point lead at halftime after scoring nine unanswered to end the period, but it quickly dwindled as the Golden Eagles played a strong second half and led by nine on multiple occasions. Though things may have looked bleak in the final five minutes, Academy of Art surged back, rattling off another 9-0 run to send it into overtime, 69-69. London, who had a career game scoring 29 points to tie the program record, sparked the comeback which continued into the extra period. ART U was untouchable from that point on as the Knights led the entire overtime, outscored Cal State LA 12-4, and went on to win 81-73.

Facing a determined Western Oregon squad the next afternoon, Academy of Art seemed to be experiencing déjà vu. ART U trailed by six, 49-43, with just over nine minutes left after WOU had held a first half advantage. A 3-pointer by freshman guard Vianai Austin and six straight points by Griggs eventually led to a 10-2 Knights burst. Academy of Art now led 56-53 with less than four minutes to go and thanks to relentless defense which resulted in a three-point play for Rogers, ART U would win 61-59, remaining undefeated in the tournament.

LOOKING AHEAD
ART U gears up for its first home game of the season (and final non-conference game) next Wednesday, Dec. 14 when the Knights welcome Saint Martin's to Kezar Pavilion. Tipoff for that contest is set for 7:00 PM. Be sure to sign up for the Fan Bus early!