SAN RAFAEL, Calif. – Academy of Art University women's basketball picked up right where it left off on Tuesday night with stellar shooting in the second half of a 78-76 win over Sonoma State, the Urban Knights' seventh victory in a row inside Dominican's Conlan Recreation Center. The tandem of junior forward Helena Orts (22 points, 10 rebounds) and junior guard Rodericka "Dreek" Ware (19 points, six assists) led the way in a triumph that saw ART U shoot an eye-popping 76.9 percent from the field (10-for-13) in the fourth quarter alone.

"I thought when our intensity and effort picked up on defense, we were able to transition and control the tempo which helped on the offensive end," said head coach LaNay Larson. "Our shot selection and ball movement was much better in the second half."

After both teams jockeyed for position in the early going, Ware hit the first of two 3-pointers in the final two and a half minutes to tie things up 9-9. She then found Orts for baskets on back-to-back possessions and finished the opening quarter by giving her team a 19-17 lead with her second triple.

Sonoma State continued to work the offensive glass through the opening half, netting 12 second chance points with six in each of the first two quarters. The strategy helped the Seawolves outscore ART U 24-13 in the second quarter including a 12-2 run to finish the half up 41-32.

That margin was quickly shortened early in the third quarter when a 7-0 run capped by junior guard Hayley Pryor's 3-pointer brought the Knights to within two points, 41-39. Though SSU executed a 10-2 run to go back up eight, the quarter ended on a 9-0 run that featured two baskets from Ware.

After shooting 50 percent from the field in the first quarter, 50 percent in the third quarter, it didn't seem as though ART U could get much better, but they would. Senior guard Alana Simon and junior guard Jazzlyn Brewster got Academy of Art going with buckets in the first two minutes to extend what would become a 15-2 run spanning the third and fourth quarters.

Soon, with a four-point lead (63-59), Orts' second triple of the year began a stretch in which the Knights made six of seven shots including nine points from Orts and another 3-pointer by Pryor. Eventually, a layup by Ware pushed the margin to double digits at 77-67, but turnovers allowed Sonoma State to mount a comeback that ended up just seconds too late as a Carly Gill's 3-pointer at the buzzer brought the Seawolves to within two, 78-76, which would serve as the final score.

Academy of Art picks up its seventh win in a row to improve to 7-4 overall. For Orts, her fifth double-double of the season included 10 rebounds and featured a career-high 22 points on the second-highest single-game field goal percentage in program history at 81.8 percent (9-for-11) from the field. She tied Jasmin Guinn (at MSU-Billings on Sept. 14, 2015) and Jessica Nolan (at Dominican on Feb. 18, 2010). Ware had 19 points, her sixth straight with 18 or more, as well as four 3-pointers made, six assists, and four steals. Pryor matched her season-high with 12 points while Brewster stuffed the stat sheet with eight points, five rebounds, and five assists.

"Helena and Dreek stepped up big in the second half and made some big baskets for us," said Larson. "We just have to focus one game at a time. It's going to be quick turnarounds so we must be disciplined in our preparation and ready to play from the tip."

Sonoma State falls to 7-5 overall with the loss despite five players scoring in double figures led by 21 points from Jessica Mitz.

With the first of the Urban Knights' four games over the course of the coming week now complete, ART U returns to PacWest play this Thursday, Jan. 5. Academy of Art will host Dixie State at 5:30 p.m. inside City College of San Francisco.