Box Score

Photo Gallery (images by Hailey Archambault)

Oakland, CA -- A day after the Academy of Art University men's basketball team found out that they control their own destiny in the postseason picture, they took control of their East Bay opponents, making a defensive stand on the road and allowing a program low in points in a 61-49 victory over Holy Names. The Urban Knights weren't their usual high-octane offense, but they didn't need it, forcing 15 turnovers and notching 10 steals against the Hawks.

"I thought we played solid defense for most of the game," said head coach Julius Barnes. "We closed out on the shooters and didn't allow too many open looks. Looking at the stat sheet, we've got to do a better job of limiting second chance opportunities. However, I'm very pleased with the effort tonight."

Just like against Notre Dame de Namur last week, Academy of Art (9-15, 7-10 PWC) won the tip and got a quick bucket from Aaron Anderson to start the game. But, unlike last week, the Hawks came back with a 10-0 run to put the Knights in an early hole. ART U came back to tie it up at 12-12, and after a thunderous dunk by Rodrigo Maza gave the Knights a 17-15 lead with 9:26 to play, the Knights would never relinquish the lead for the rest of the game.

From the dunk onward, the Urban Knights finished the half on a 19-7 run, including the capper, a 3-pointer from Bryan Fisher to make it 36-22 at the half. Fisher, who would finish the game coming perilously close to a triple-double, had seven points and eight assists at the half in a game where nobody on either side got into double figures in scoring until midway through the second period.

Academy of Art held on that lead in the second half but continued to move the ball around. They extended their lead at its high point to 19 on a three-point play from Alex Carmon, part of a 9-4 run to start the half that saw the Knights up 45-26. The Hawks started to close the gap, but were never able to get the margin within single digits again. Shots at 2:32 and 2:02 made it a ten-point contest, but each time the Knights were able to respond, finishing the game making eight straight free throws to seal the deal.

The Knights moved the ball around all night, notching 17 assists on their 23 field goals. Fisher's would finish with 11 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists, while Carmon chipped in four dishes and Ameer Shamsud-din had three of his own. After only shooting two free throws in the first half, they responded by making 11-of-11 in the second while holding the Hawks to a 30.9 percent mark from the floor and 52.6 percent mark from the line.

"We moved the ball well and looked to make the extra pass," said Barnes. "It's been a point of emphasis for us all year and the guys have realized that it's an important aspect of the game. If we continue to pass up decent shots for great shots, we usually end up scoring the ball."

The Urban Knights are now in control of their own fate for a chance at the inaugural PacWest Tournament. Right now they're in the sixth spot, and if they defeat Dominican in Saturday's season finale, they're in the tournament. If they lose, they'll need some help from Chaminade to beat Hawaii Pacific, as the Silverswords and Sea Warriors tip off around 10PM Pacific Time on Saturday.

"Dominican is a good team and they are very well coached," said Barnes. "We'll have to have a much better defensive effort than we had last Saturday.  It all boils down to getting stops and executing on offense. I'm sure the guys will be focused, knowing what's at stake."