Box Score

Sacramento, CA -- Refusing to be intimidated by Division I Sacramento State in Friday's exhibition matchup, Academy of Art University Women's Basketball used a 12-3 second half run to nearly pull off the upset. Sac State ended up taking a 78-59 victory, but that lead had only been four points with 6:45 to go as a result of the Urban Knights' determined effort inside the Hornets' Nest. Senior Katy Wade had a breakout debut with 14 points, 14 rebounds, and five blocked shots while ART U freshmen Regina Camera and Jasmin Guinn both were dynamic contributors off the bench.

"I was happy with our effort, but we definitely didn't shoot the ball like we are capable of and need to cut down on the turnovers," head coach LaNay Larson said. "Sacramento State presses hard for 40 minutes and that isn't something we had a lot of time to prepare for this early in the season. They are a team with a lot of experience returning and play a very uptempo style so the fact that we were able to cut it to four late in the game was a positive that we can build off, but by no means are we content with our performance."

Senior Ariel Dale and the Urban Knights looked to attack early, but the Hornets matched as a 6-6 tie showed at the first media timeout. The ART U youth then showed it was ready for action with Camera coming in off the bench to nail a 3-pointer and Guinn contributing a pair of foul shots.

The Knights were up 12-10 with just under 13 minutes on the clock, but Dale, who had been leading by example, would pick up a crucial second foul midway through the half and was forced to sit down. The Hornets promptly launched into a 12-1 run highlighted by a triple from Se'nyce Parrish and five consecutive free throws made.

Academy of Art did not back down though as Camera initiated a quick 6-2 burst with a layup late in the first half. Camera scored once again to end the period, putting in a layup which cut the CSUS lead to 34-23 at halftime.

Strong defense to begin the second half led to several more layups by the Knights, but the Hornets maintained their double-digit advantage early on. Wade worked hard to keep her squad within striking distance, scoring inside on one end and rejecting shots on the other. A pair of 3-pointers, one by Guinn and one by freshman Zoie Sheng, then sparked ART U to keep fighting and soon make a run.

"My freshman came in and played fearless," Coach Larson said. "While they made some mistakes, I was really happy with how they came out in their first game. They are just going to get better and better."

The Academy of Art burst was 8-0 when Sheng converted two free throws and then senior Nicol Biesek put in a layup followed by senior Juliua Fraser's jumper off a Biesek assist. Camera found Biesek for the jumper that would put the Urban Knights within five, 58-53. Though Sac State responded with free throws of its own, senior Jordan Rogers and Camera each got into the paint for baskets to make it a nail-biting 61-57.

The Hornets, however, broke out a 9-0 run of their own started by Alle Moreno's triple and later another long ball from Parrish. CSUS closed out the game on a 20-6 run though certainly had new-found respect for an Academy of Art team that tenaciously challenged their lead.

Highlighting this first look at the Urban Knights was Wade who lived up to the hype as an interior presence with her team-highs of 14 points and 14 rebounds. The senior also contributed five blocks, three steals, and two assists.

"That was Katy's first game in over a year and half so it took her a half to get the rust out and play her game," Coach Larson said. "Second half, she showed what she is capable of doing and look for her to consistently dominate in that fashion."

Off the bench, Guinn added nine points and five rebounds while Camera put in nine points to go with four rebounds. Biesek and Rogers each had seven points apiece while Dale finished with six points and six rebounds.

For the Hornets, Moreno and Parrish shared the game-high with 19 points each. Moreno also grabbed 11 rebounds and added four steals. Kylie Kuhns also brought in a double-double in the form of 10 points and 13 rebounds along with eight assists.

ART U will officially begin its 2012-13 campaign on Nov. 9 when the Urban Knights travel to Cal State East Bay to play Humboldt State as part of the CCAA/PacWest Challenge. That game is set to tip off at 5:00 PM inside Pioneer Gym.