Game #12
ART U Urban Knights (9-6, 5-2 PWC) vs. BYU-Hawaii Seasiders (1-11, 0-4 PWC)
Saturday, January 21, 2012 at 5:00 PM
San Francisco, CA – Kezar Pavilion
Live Stats
Live Audio
Twitter Updates

Game #13
ART U Urban Knights (9-6, 5-2 PWC) vs. Chaminade Silverswords (0-10, 0-4 PWC)
Monday, January 23, 2012 at 5:00 PM
San Francisco, CA – Kezar Pavilion
Live Stats
Live Audio
Twitter Updates

SEASIDERS AND SILVERSWORDS IN TOWN FOR PACWEST REMATCHES
Academy of Art University women's basketball sent shockwaves through the Pacific West Conference with its recent 4-0 roadtrip through Hawaii and now looks to continue their winning ways back at home. Though the environment will be different than the humid temperatures on the islands, some of the opponents will be the same: BYU-Hawaii and Chaminade. The Urban Knights previously defeated both the Seasiders and Silverswords by double-digit margins on Oahu.

OPENING TIP
ART U's first game back after its Hawaii roadtrip features BYU-Hawaii on Saturday, Jan. 21. That contest is followed by a pairing against Chaminade on Monday, Jan. 23. Both games are scheduled for 5:00 PM tipoff times inside Kezar Pavilion. Live Stats, Live Audio, and Twitter Updates will be available for these games. 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.

CRUNCHING THE CAPTAINS' NUMBERS
Sophomore forward Alisa Griggs was named the PacWest Conference Player of the Week after solid numbers throughout the Hawaii roadtrip. She remains ART U's top scorer (12.9 ppg) and rebounder (7.9 rpg). Senior guard Devin London, who ranks 2nd in the PacWest in steals (2.6 spg), collected nine steals in the four Hawaii contests and remains one of three Urban Knights averaging double figures in scoring (10.1 ppg). Senior guard Lorraine Etchell, who continues to build upon her program record of career points (780 currently), is on the verge of assuming possession of a second place ranking in several other career categories. She needs two steals (three for 100), four blocks, and 24 assists to move on up.

KNIGHT WATCH
Out of 10 PacWest teams, ART U now ranks fourth in points per game at 65.0 ppg and fifth in scoring defense (opponents are scoring 66.6 ppg) which has been the recipe for the Urban Knights' fourth place ranking in the conference. In addition to the seniors, Academy of Art was successful in Hawaii thanks in large part to several other Knights. Junior forward Ariel Dale had the best game of her career against Hawaii Pacific, posting 15 points and the fourth most rebounds in program history for a single game (15 rebs). She scored in double figures three out of four games in Hawaii and now ranks third in the conference in steals per game (2.3 spg). Junior guard Jordan Rogers scored in double figures twice on the islands, knocking down three 3-pointers versus Hawaii Pacific. Junior guard Nicol Biesek's 2.8 assists per game rank eighth in the PacWest and, after registering 15 blocks thus far in 2011-12, she needs just four more to set a new single-season program record. Finally, freshman guard Vianai Austin went for a season-high 16 points (3-6 3pt) and seven rebounds in the win over Chaminade.

BRING BACK BYU-HAWAII
Currently amid a five-game losing streak, BYUH is still searching for its first PacWest victory. However, the Seasiders are not without dangerous weapons. In the Jan. 14 game against ART U, BYU-Hawaii responded from being down 52-39 at halftime, cutting the margin down to single digits still with five minutes left to play. The team is led by Shayla Washington, the PacWest's fourth leading scorer, who went for 21 points against the Knights in Laie, HI. That was her third game in the past four outings in which she has posted 21 points to lead BYUH. Complementing Washington's 7.9 rebounds per game (3rd in the conference), Taylor Mann averages 9.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per contest to give BYU-Hawaii two of the PacWest's top six rebounders. The Seasiders will play Notre Dame de Namur on Jan. 19 prior to facing Academy of Art this Saturday. ART U has now defeated BYUH on four consecutive occasions and leads 4-2 in the team's matchup history.

SILVERSWORDS, EN GUARDE!
Chaminade, now 0-10 on the season, has struggled offensively in its two most recent games. First, against the Urban Knights on Jan. 11, CUH shot under 13 percent from the floor in the second half when ART U pulled away. Although the points were spread around (four Silverswords had at least seven apiece), Chaminade could not recover from a 26-6 points in the paint statistic which favored Academy of Art. The Swords would sustain a 64-43 loss in that contest and go on to drop a 61-32 decision at Hawaii-Hilo three days later on Jan. 14. In that game, Jordan Ahakuelo, the team's leading scorer (9.9 ppg), posted a team-high 12 points, but a tough second half was again the story. The Knights will have to watch out for Markeisha Manning who got to the foul line 10 times against ART U and made nine. The Urban Knights have gone 6-0 against Chaminade since joining the PacWest. Chaminade is scheduled to face both Dominican (Jan. 19) and Notre Dame de Namur (Jan. 21) prior to meeting Academy of Art on Monday.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SWEEPS THROUGH HAWAII, GOES 4-0
Prior to last week, no Academy of Art University women's basketball had ever won more than two games in Hawaii. Enter the 2011-12 Urban Knights. With a dominant second half in which ART U shot nearly 50 percent from the floor and outscored Hawaii-Hilo by 13, the Knights defeated UHH 58-46 to start the trip on Jan. 9. An impressive second half rebounding advantage carried Academy of Art to the victory. Two nights later on Jan. 11, ART U battled through a low-scoring first half against Chaminade, but bounced back in the second for a 64-43 win led by several of Vianai Austin's timely baskets during a 20-6 run to start the period. In that contest, the Knights also held the Silverswords to the lowest field goal percentage (17.2%) by an ART U opponent in program history.

BYU-Hawaii was up next on Jan. 14 and, this time, Academy of Art's offense exploded in the first half. The Knights were two points shy of the program record for points in a half (52) and when the Seasiders attempted to comeback late, ART U's Lorraine Etchell converted her free throws and Nicol Biesek made a key defensive play to turn the tide in the 88-75 victory. In the trip's finale, Academy of Art was tested by Hawaii Pacific in a Jan. 16 game that needed overtime to be decided. Though the Urban Knights led by 11 at halftime and by eight late, the Sea Warriors rode a spirited 11-3 burst in the final two minutes to send it into overtime. Unfazed by the dramatic comeback, ART U got an energizing three-point play from Etchell and the squad knocked down its free throws in the extra period to win 81-78, closing out a memorable trip to the Hawaiian Islands.

LOOKING AHEAD
One contest remains in this mid-season homestand for Academy of Art University. The Urban Knights face off against Dominican on Jan. 30 with tipoff scheduled for 5:00 PM inside Kezar Pavilion.