Game #3
ART U Urban Knights (2-0) vs. Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks (0-1)
Friday, November 16, 2012 at 5:00 PM
San Francisco, CA – Kezar Pavilion
Live Stats | Live Audio

Game #4
ART U Urban Knights (2-0) vs. Nebraska Kearney  (1-1)
Sunday, November 18, 2012 at 1:00 PM
San Francisco, CA – Kezar Pavilion
Live Stats | Live Audio

KNIGHTS MAKE FIRST TWO HOME APPEARANCES THIS FRIDAY & SUNDAY
Now 2-0 on the season and looking to ride that momentum, Academy of Art University women's basketball is set to face Alaska Fairbanks and Nebraska Kearney during its tip-off weekend at home. The Urban Knights swept through Humboldt State and Cal State East Bay in the CCAA/PacWest Challenge to start the year, never trailing in either contest. Be sure to sign up for a Fan Bus to the ART U Tip-Off Rally on Friday and to each game.

OPENING TIP
Fans' first opportunity to see their Urban Knights at home will be this Friday, Nov. 16 with special pre-game festivities for the ART U Tip-Off Rally. Those planning to attend should ride the 2:30pm fan bus from 620 Sutter to get to Kezar Pavilion for some fun before the 5:00 PM tip against Alaska Fairbanks.


In a rare Sunday matchup, ART U plays host to Nebraska Kearney on Nov. 18 with a 1:00 PM tip-off inside Kezar. Live Stats will be available for both games in addition to Live Audio as the Academy of Art University Athletics Department partners with Multimedia Communications on Urban Knights Radio. Remember to follow @ARTU_Knights on Twitter and "Like" the Urban Knights on Facebook for score updates, videos, and recaps.


KNIGHT WATCH
Led by its freshmen in the win over Humboldt and its seniors against Cal State East Bay, ART U has offered a variety of threats this season. Freshman Sha'Nice Storey went for a game-high 22 points in the opener while freshman Regina Camera added 12 points and three steals. Versus CSUEB, seniors Jordan Rogers, Katy Wade, and Ariel Dale combined to score 42 of the 59 points and grab 25 of the team's 40 rebounds (Rogers offered a career-high eight on the offensive glass). Defense has truly fueled the offense thus far as the Urban Knights hold a commanding 73-30 points off turnovers advantage in the two games combined. 

NANOOKS WITH SOME NEW LOOKS
Returning six athletes from 2011-12, but also transferring in six upperclassmen, Alaska Fairbanks has its sights set on an improvement from its 6-22 overall record from last year. The Nanooks sustained an 87-73 defeat at the hands of Colorado School of Mines this past Saturday, but still had four players score in double figures on the night. Taylor Altenburg and Benissa Bulaya, two returners, each offered 15 points apiece and Bulaya added eight steals. This Friday, the Knights look to avenge last year's 68-62 loss to the Nanooks in which a furious second half ART U comeback fell just short. All three of the UAF's top scorers from that contest do not return this season.

A DIFFERENT KIND OF LOPE
Coming off a 2011-12 season in which Nebraska Kearney went 8-19 and 8-14 in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA), UNK currently sits at 1-1 this year. Nebraska Kearney fell in a pair of exhibition games against fellow Nebraska schools, University of Nebraska (68-38) and Nebraska Omaha (56-37), before a 68-60 loss to South Dakota School of Mines to start the season. The Lopers would go on to knock off University of Sioux Falls 54-45 thanks in large part to 15 points from Shelby Zimmerman who shot 50 percent from the floor. Melissa Norman, a 6-2 post presence, has grabbed 15 rebounds over a both games to average a team-high 7.5 boards thus far. UNK will face SF State on Saturday prior to meeting the Urban Knights for the first time in program history this Sunday.

KNIGHTS SWEEP CCAA/PACWEST CHALLENGE TO START YEAR
Though both games featured an early lead by Academy of Art University, that was essentially the only similarity in ART U's sweep of the CCAA/PacWest Challenge. On Nov. 9, the Urban Knights used a 19-0 run to eventually assume a 30-6 advantage over Humboldt State. HSU fought back to make it an 11-point difference at the half, but a big second half by Storey kept ART U firmly in front for the 86-65 win. Storey finished with 22 points in the game and 14 of those were in the second period. The next evening against tournament host Cal State East Bay, the Knights went up 16-6, but a resilient Pioneers squad kept it close. A one-point game with under a minute to go, both Wade and Rogers hit key free throws to give Academy of Art the 59-56 edge.

LOOKING AHEAD
As they frequently are during the Thanksgiving holiday, the Urban Knights will be on the road next week. This time, ART U travels to Nampa, Idaho for the Hampton Inn Classic hosted by Northwest Nazarene (Nov. 23-24). There, Academy of Art will face the tournament host Crusaders and then Central Washington to close out the month of November.