Box Score

San Diego, CA -- The first ever meeting of Academy of Art University and Point Loma Nazarene University was about as close as they come. Inside Golden Gymnasium for the start of their three-game roadtrip through Southern California, the Urban Knights used the second-most 3-pointers made in program history and a strong rebounding effort to outlast the Sea Lions. To finish off a career-high 16 points, freshman Zoie Sheng made two clutch free throws in the waning seconds to keep her team on top.

"I knew coming into this game that we were facing a very tough team that has been shooting the ball extremely well from the perimeter," head coach LaNay Larson said. "A lead on the road is never big enough and it was nice to finally pull out a close one, we needed that for our confidence."

Senior Jordan Rogers got the Knights started quickly in the first as the senior scored the team's first seven points each in a variety of ways. She began by nailing her opening three-point attempt then laid one in off freshman Regina Camera's feed and later tossed in a pair of free throws. Point Loma, however, responded with what became a 15-4 run to retake the lead.

That's when the treys started to fall. First, senior Nicol Biesek dropped in a 3-pointer after grabbing an offensive rebound and then senior Katy Wade did the same to set up Camera for the triple. The freshman's basket tied the game 17-17, but the advantage rocked back and forth.

After PLNU led briefly, ART U executed an 11-0 run highlighted by back-to-back 3-pointers from St. Mary's Academy Blues-turned-Urban Knights Sha'Nice Storey and Sheng. Storey hit then proceeded to steal the ball back and dish to Sheng for another. Adding in junior Alisa Griggs' two free throws, the scoreboard now read a 28-19 lead for Academy of Art with 4:49 left.


“The team focus was to play good solid defense,” Sheng said. “That's how we get going as a team. Our energy thrives off of getting tips, steals, and rattling our opponent.”

As the half drew to a close, the Knights burst further ahead thanks to a long distance barrage that included makes by Rogers and Camera in the final 1:04. Up 38-29 as a result, ART U looked to maintain its advantage in the second half.

Much like the start of the game, Rogers came out of the halftime locker room with the hot hand. The Sea Lions were starting to cut into the lead to which Rogers responded with a triple off the setup from Sheng. Though Academy of Art continued to convert, the visitors' lead never surpassed double digits as some timely Point Loma 3-pointers kept them close.

PLNU had made it a three-point game on multiple occasions, but soon Sheng drained back-to-back triples to fend off that comeback. However, a brief 6-0 run by the Sea Lions again shortened the ART U margin and yet a 6-2 Knights run was the response capped by a Storey jumper.

The teams headed into the final four minutes with an extremely tight 64-61 score favoring ART U. Sheng and Storey struck again with 3-pointers each assisted by the other and yet Point Loma would manage to cut the lead down to one, 70-69, with 2:09 left. As the foul strategy became employed, Rogers first made a pair at the free throw line to put Academy of Art up 72-69, however, a foul by the senior shortly thereafter gave the Sea Lions their own opportunity to make a pair.

With 11 seconds left and a lead of just one, Sheng was sent to the foul line where she calmly sunk both shots. Another foul then put PLNU's Jessica Escorza on the line with three seconds left and her team down by three, but she missed both and the Knights prevailed 74-71.

“At the end of close games like that, the most important thing is to stay relaxed,” Sheng said. “When you start to panic, things get chaotic and out of control. I try to chill out and remember that I've made a free throw before. That takes some of the pressure off.”

With the win, the Urban Knights rise to 14-5 overall and 7-2 in PacWest play, moving them into a two-way tie with Hawaii Pacific for the #2 slot in the conference standings. Powering a total of 12 three-point field goals made (second to the 15 made earlier this year at Hawaii Pacific on Jan. 5), Sheng went 4-for-4 from downtown to help produce her career-high of 16 points. She also had a new high of seven rebounds (four offensive) in addition to her three assists and two steals.

“I had a career-high tonight but it's all because of my teammates who encouraged me to keep shooting and had good passes out to the wing,” Sheng said. “And I really don't know how I got that many rebounds. I think I was just at the right spot at the right time.”

Sheng shared the team-high with Rogers who also delivered 16 points (including three 3-pointers made) and eight rebounds. Wade had her fourth 14+ rebound effort in the past five games with a game-high 15 boards in 21 minutes on the floor Thursday night. Storey added 12 points and three assists with Camera providing 10 points and five assists to round out a strong showing from ART U's freshman class.

“I thought everyone played their role well and Zoie stepped up huge,” Coach Larson said. “She has always been capable of scoring, but is a very unselfish pure point. Tonight they left her open in the second half and she knocked down those shots without hesitation. She was definitely a game-changer and again that just makes us more versatile on the offensive end.”

Dropping to 7-10 overall and 3-6 in PacWest action, the Sea Lions had a game-high 17 points from Callie Rhoads along with seven rebounds. She was supported by Savannah Erskine's 16 points while Carlotta Kloppenburg finished with 12 points including 4-of-9 from beyond the three-point arc.

“This game was huge for the start of the trip,” Coach Larson said. “Point Loma has been playing with a lot of confidence so we weren't looking past them. It is one at a time at this point in the season.”

Next up on ART U's SoCal swing is a Feb. 2 match-up with California Baptist, the Urban Knights' first since last season.