SAN RAFAEL, CALIF. – In what started as a defense-focused, low-scoring affair, Academy of Art men's basketball (4-7, 3-2 PacWest) quickly found themselves in a back-and-forth battle, featuring 11 lead changes. The Urban Knights came out on top however, nabbing their first victory of 2017 by outlasting Dominican (4-10, 3-5 PacWest) 79-71.
 
In a slow start to the first half, both sides combined for just 13 points after five minutes had passed. Despite a 9-0 Penguins run, ART U never found themselves trailing by more than seven points. The Knights continued to claw their way back into the game, eventually tying the contest at 26 points apiece when freshman forward Ivan Furlan completed a layup with 1:52 on the clock. At the buzzer, the two sides headed to the locker room with the scored knotted 28-28.
 
Junior guard Victor Nwaba started the second half on a hot streak, giving ART U a 1-point lead at the 19:01 mark and scored triples in the team's next two possessions. From that point forward, both teams continued to trade the lead with the score being tied as late as the 6:35 mark at 60 points per side. Four minutes later, it was still a 1-point game as the Urban Knights held a slight, 69-68 lead with 2:24 to play. As the clock wound down, Academy of Art regained control, outscoring Dominican 10-3 in the final two minutes to capture the program's first-ever win on Dominican's home floor.

 
Nwaba led the Urban Knights' second-half surge, draining four 3-pointers and scoring 17 points overall in the period en route to a career-high, 22-point night.
 
"Victor did a really good job of letting the game come to him," said head coach Julius Barnes. "He took what the defense gave him."
 
The advertising major was one of four ART U players to reach a double-digit point total. Senior guard Herman Pratt IV (16, season high), senior forward Chris Salas (13, 9 rebounds), and junior guard Uchenna Okeneme (10) were the others to reach that total.
 
"At the final media timeout, we talked about doing what was necessary to help this team win," said Barnes. "We concentrated on getting stops, getting the best shots possible, and just playing ART U basketball. They made the decision to win this game and that's what they did."
 
Academy of Art will play two contests in the coming week, first hosting Chaminade on January 10 and then heading to Azusa Pacific on the 14th.