SAN FRANCISCO – A career-night for Cameron Niven was just the beginning for Academy of Art who overcame a first-half deficit in order to defeat Dominican for their fifth win in seven games.
 
In the opening period, both defenses looked strong to start as neither side reached double digit points until nearly six minutes had passed. However, it was at the 11:39 mark when the Urban Knights' offense came alive. Tied at 13 points apiece, ART U went on an 8-2 run which was fueled by five points from junior guard Cobe Williams. Their 6-point lead was their largest of the half as the Penguins took control for the remaining eight minutes. With 4:28 to play, Dominican took just their second lead of the game which they built up to a 5-point, 36-31 advantage at the half.
 
It did not take long for Academy of Art to reclaim control of the contest once the second half began: junior center Cameron Niven took things into his own hands, scoring in each of the Knights' opening two possessions and contributed a block on the other end. Moments later, senior guard Uchenna Okeneme drove into the paint to score a layup, tying the game at 38-all. In the Penguins' following possession, DUC's Jeremiah Gray looked to put the momentum on their side with a near, disrespectful dunk where he swung from the rim several times. However, what came next defined the rest of the Urban Knights' night: a big-time response. Junior guard Kiel Long dished one up to Niven underneath the basket who slammed down and emphatic dunk of his own, not only retying the game, but also denying Dominican's ability to reclaim control of the contest.

 
It was no coincidence that ART U never trailed again after that moment and built as much as a 13-point lead with 6:31 on the clock. The Penguins went on to score nine unanswered points to trim the deficit to four points with one minute to play. However, their efforts were not enough as the Urban Knights held on for an 81-74 victory.
 
Their third win in four games raises ART U's record to 6-9 overall and 5-4 in PacWest-play. The victory was claimed thanks to contributions from up and down the roster as five Urban Knights reached double-digit point totals. At the top of the stat sheet was Niven who scored a career-high, 22 points while nearly recording a double-double with nine rebounds on the night. Senior guard Kendall Brown came next with 18 points and seven rebounds (his third-highest mark this season). C. Williams put up 12 points, one rebound, and a steal and Okeneme matched his season-high with 10 points while adding a rebound and a steal as well. Junior guard Zuri Williams was the biggest contributor off of the bench tonight, matching his career-high of 12 points while amassing four rebounds, two assists, and a pair of steals.
 
Academy of Art will now continue their four-game homestand when they welcome in Holy Names on Saturday, January 13 at 7:30 p.m. The Urban Knights handled the Hawks in their previous encounter on December 10 when ART U defeated HNU 76-58 on the road.