Game #7
ART U Urban Knights (0-6, 0-0 PWC) vs. No. 17 Azusa Pacific Cougars (9-1, 0-0 PWC)
Wednesday, November 30, 2017 at 5:30 p.m.
Azusa, Calif. – Felix Event Center
Live Stats & Live Video
Game #8
ART U Urban Knights (0-6, 0-0 PWC) vs. Dixie State Trailblazers (4-2, 0-0 PWC)
Saturday, December 2, 2017 at 1:30 p.m. MT (12:30 p.m. PT)
St. George, Utah – Burns Arena
Live Stats | Live Video
ACADEMY OF ART STARTS CONFERENCE PLAY ON THE ROAD
With its two non-conference tournaments now complete, ART U women's basketball matches up with Pacific West Conference preseason favorite No. 17 Azusa Pacific for its first PacWest game this week. The Urban Knights then remain on the road, taking on Dixie State this weekend.
OPENING TIP
ART U's first week of PacWest action begins in Azusa inside the Cougars' Felix Event Center on Thursday, Nov. 30 at 5:30 p.m. From there, Academy of Art will travel to St. George, Utah for a 1:30 p.m. MT (12:30 p.m. PT) tipoff against the Trailblazers on Saturday, Dec. 2. Live coverage will be available via the links above. Remember to follow @ARTU_Knights on
Twitter &
Instagram and "Like" the
Urban Knights on Facebook for score updates, videos, and recaps.
KNIGHT WATCH
Approaching the PacWest portion of the season, Academy of Art ranks second in the conference in both steals per game (10.67 thefts per game). With more steals than any other pair of PacWest players last week (21),
PacWest Defender of the Week redshirt senior guard
Jazzlynn Brewster as well as
Lynda Goodrich Classic All-Tournament Team selection senior forward
Helena Orts have led the defensive charge. That tandem goes No. 2 and No. 3 among the conference's steals leaders with Orts averaging 3.2 (20th in NCAA Division II) and Brewster tallying 2.8 (34 in DII) steals per game. Both are also among the PacWest's top 15 in scoring with Brewster ninth (14.8 points per game) and Orts 14th (13.5 ppg). Brewster adds 4.2 assists per game (fifth in PacWest). Redshirt senior forward
Pre'Franz Dominick ranks eighth in the conference in rebounds per game (7.8).
COUGARS IN COMMAND
Picked to finish lead the PacWest Conference with Point Loma in the Preseason Coaches' Poll, No. 17 Azusa Pacific has just one loss through its first 10 games. The Cougars went 6-0 to start the year before dropping an 80-69 result to No. 13 Seattle Pacific, but returned to their winning ways with victories over Cal State San Marcos and UC San Diego most recently. APU ranks second in the conference in scoring offense (81.2 points per game) and it is their PacWest-leading 9.2 triples made per contest (12th in DII) that has contributed mightily to that. Not surprisingly, the Cougars also pace the PacWest in assists per game (19.8 apg) with 6.0 of those coming from Zoe March (first in PacWest, 10th in DII). Savanna Hanson is one of APU's top threats, averaging 18.1 points (fifth in PacWest) and 9.0 rebounds per game (fourth in PacWest). The Knights and Cougars have met eight times previously with Azusa Pacific leading 5-3.
THE STATE OF DIXIE
After starting the year 1-2, Dixie State has won three consecutive games heading into a Nov. 28 matchup with Utah Valley. The Trailblazers topped Montana State-Northern, Antelope Valley, and Westminster in their win streak. DSU ranks third in the PacWest in scoring defense, allowing opponents 67.2 points per game. Kristin Baldwin has been a big contributor to that statistic, averaging the second-most blocks per game (2.2) in the conference as well as the third-highest rebound average (9.2). ART U is ahead 8-6 all-time against head coach
LaNay Larson's previous team.
KNIGHTS FALL TO VIKINGS, ORTS NAMED TO ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Academy of Art University women's basketball had its best start to a game this season, but Lynda Goodrich Classic host Western Washington ended up having long-range success in its comeback toward an 82-66 win on
Nov. 25 inside Carver Gym. Senior forward
Helena Orts was selected to the All-Tournament Team for her efforts over two days in Washington.
LOOKING AHEAD
Continuing PacWest Conference play back in the Bay Area, ART U hosts Notre Dame de Namur on Wednesday, Dec. 6 then faces Holy Names on the road in Oakland on Sunday, Dec. 10.
