SAN FRANCISCO – Academy of Art University women's basketball closed out 2016 with a thrilling come-from-behind victory, outlasting Cal State Monterey Bay 72-70 inside Kezar Pavilion on Saturday afternoon. Rebounding was key for the Urban Knights who posted 26 second-chance points and a 21-7 run in the second half for their sixth consecutive victory.
Midway through a tight first quarter, back-to-back layups by freshman guard
Karleigh Joseph helped ART U gain an 11-7 lead. Then it was a triple by junior guard
Rodericka Ware that capped an 11-4 run to put the Knights up by six. CSUMB fought back to tie the game 21-21 before an offensive rebound and putback by senior forward
Priscilla Mora gave Academy of Art a slight advantage heading to the second.
An 11-0 push by the Otters opened the second quarter, but the double-digit lead Cal State Monterey Bay had was down to seven, 40-33, following an 8-2 ART U response sparked by junior guard
Hayley Pryor fastbreak layup.
Academy of Art then got a huge boost from junior forward
Helena Orts in the third quarter as her rebounding and scoring contributed to the 21-7 surge that took her team from down seven (42-35) to up seven (56-49) with seven minutes and 17 seconds left in the fourth. The teams traded baskets from there, but a critical layup with 2:15 on the clock brought CSUMB to within two, 62-60.
The Knights responded with Joseph finding Orts for a layup and Pryor hitting Ware for the triple to boost the margin back to seven. Down the stretch, however, the Otters knocked down two 3-pointers in the final minute while employing the foul strategy and soon two missed free throws were compounded with Christine Golfo's layup to make it just 71-70 ART U with eight seconds left. Orts would split free throws and a desperation game-winning triple by Aubri Smith did not fall which meant the sixth straight win for the Knights was by a final score of 72-70.
Academy of Art wraps up the 2016 calendar year 6-4 overall with the win. Ware posted a game-high 20 points (her fifth straight 18+ point performance) with four rebounds and three assists. For Orts, 14 points and 11 rebounds made for her fourth double-double of the season while Joseph finished with career-highs in points (10), rebounds (8), assists (4), and steals (4) in her second-most minutes played this year (31).
Cal State Monterey Bay took its sixth straight loss and is now 3-8 overall this year. McKenna Hill led the Otters with 17 points (7-for-11 shooting from the field), and Victoria Dorn, the NCAA leader in three-point field goals made, had 12 points all from beyond the arc.
When the new year begins, Academy of Art will finish its non-conference slate with a Jan. 3 matchup versus Sonoma State. The Urban Knights and Seawolves are set to tip off at 7 p.m. inside Dominican's Conlan Recreation Center.
