Game #8
ART U Urban Knights (6-1) vs. Cal State Monterey Bay (3-1)
Wednesday, December 5, 2012 at 5:30 PM
Seaside, CA – Kelp Bed
Live Stats | Live Video

Game #9
ART U Urban Knights (6-1, 1-0 PWC) vs. Holy Names Hawks (2-2, 1-0 PWC)
Saturday, December 8, 2012 at 1:00 PM
San Francisco, CA – Kezar Pavilion
Live Stats | Live Audio

ACADEMY OF ART LOOKING TO STAY HOT THIS WEEK
In its first step towards a Pacific West Conference title run this past weekend, ART U women's basketball scored the second-most points in program history with a 95-56 win over Notre Dame de Namur. The Urban Knights now head to Seaside for a matchup with reigning CCAA Champions Cal State Monterey Bay on Wednesday before coming back home to host Holy Names on Saturday. Sign up for the FAN BUS for Saturday, Dec. 8 HERE!

OPENING TIP
Getting in a pairing with Cal State Monterey Bay in early this week, Academy of Art begins with its trip to Seaside, CA this Wednesday, Dec. 5. That matchup is set to tip off at 5:30 PM. Then, on Saturday, Dec. 8, ART U makes its return to Kezar Pavilion for the first home PacWest matchup which will feature Holy Names at 1:00 PM. Live coverage in various forms is scheduled to be available (see above). Remember to follow @ARTU_Knights on Twitter and "Like" the Urban Knights on Facebook for score updates, videos, and recaps.

KNIGHT WATCH
Still the highest scoring team in the PacWest (76.9 points per game), Academy of Art continues to dominate the “hustle categories” with 13.4 steals (1st in PWC), 28.1 turnovers forced (1st in PWC),18.9 offensive rebounds (2nd in PWC), and 5.1 blocks per game (3rd in PWC). Senior Ariel Dale has come off the bench in each of the Knights' seven contests and has been so productive that she is a four-time PacWest Weekly Fantastic 15 recipient through four weeks of the season. In addition to leading the team in scoring at 14.7 points per game (6th in PacWest), she also ranks first in the conference in steals (3.1 spg) and fourth in offensive rebounds (3.3 rpg). Senior Jordan Rogers, who along with Dale made it on the PacWest Weekly Fantastic 15, upped her scoring average to 13.1 points per game after a season-high 20 points at NDNU. In addition to being dangerous from long range (1.57 3-pointers made per game), Rogers is also the team's leader in free throw percentage at .808 (5th in PWC). Currently 0.1 rebounds per game from averaging a double-double, senior Katy Wade has served as a dominant defensive force for ART U, putting up 11.0 points per contest along with 18 blocks (3rd in program's single-season history) and 16 steals thus far.

ADORNED IN THE USA (WEEK 3)
For the third consecutive week, Academy of Art University was among the nation's top women's basketball teams recognized in the release of the Week 3 USA TODAY Sports Division II Top 25 women's basketball poll as determined by the USA Sports board of coaches, 33 members of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA). The Urban Knights have now defeated opponents from the CCAA, GNAC, MIAA, and their own PacWest Conference to earn their repeat appearance. ART U was ahead of Cal State Monterey Bay and others on the poll.

OTTERS OUT OF THE GATE
Yet to play a home game in the 2012-13 season, Cal State Monterey Bay sits at 3-1 thus far. The Otters, who fell to Western Washington in the West Regionals of the NCAA Tournament last year, averaged 19.3 victory margins in their first three victories to start this season which included a 78-45 win over Sonoma State to open CCAA play. Most recently, however, that streak was stopped by San Francisco State on Dec. 1 with a 49-38 result in San Francisco. CSUMB offers a balanced scoring attack much like the Urban Knights as Stefanie Corgel paces her team with a 10.5 points per game average while Brittani Jefferson contributes a team-best 7.3 rebounds per game. Monterey Bay has gotten it done via the long ball (7.3 3-pointers made per game) and steals (11.5 spg). Last season, the Knights played a strong second half at the Kelp Bed, but CSUMB prevailed 82-58, giving the Otters a 2-0 advantage in the historical matchup.

HAWKS TAKING FLIGHT
New to the PacWest this season, Holy Names sustained two losses to start the year, but has since rattled off two victories with one in conference play. The Hawks fell to San Francisco State 95-63 to start the year then were barely edged by UC Merced 71-69. After defeating Pacific Union 90-39, HNU won its first PacWest contest in program history with a77-74 victory over Dominican this past Saturday. Sonia Aguilar leads the team with a 15.2 points per game average that has come primarily from her 11 3-pointers made while Britney Potestio sits at 14.0 points per game. That tandem combined for 45 points in the win at home against Dominican. Holy Names and Academy of Art have faced one another twice before with HNU holding a 2-0 advantage.

ACADEMY OF ART DOMINATES PACWEST OPENER
It was a strong start to PacWest Conference play this past Saturday as the Urban Knights comfortably defeated Notre Dame de Namur 95-56. ART U pulled ahead early and once again never looked back as a 13-0 run broke the game open, eventually giving Academy of Art a 25-point lead at one point in the first half. En route to the second-most points in program history (95) and second-most steals (18), the Knights were powered by points off turnovers and eventually assumed a 30+ point advantage in the second half. The aforementioned Rogers and Dale finished with 20 points and 18 points respectively.

LOOKING AHEAD
The Urban Knights have one more home game in the month December and it comes against Western Oregon on Thursday, Dec. 13. Sign up for the FAN BUS HERE! After that matchup, ART U heads out to Nevada for the Las Vegas Challenge which will feature pairings with Pittsburgh State (Dec. 18) and Central Missouri (Dec. 19).