HONOLULU – Despite going ahead of Hawaii Pacific with a 9-0 burst in the game's first five minutes and forcing a season-high 20 turnovers, Academy of Art University men's basketball could not sustain its advantage and dropped an 81-57 final inside the Neal S. Blaisdell Center on Wednesday night.

Tough ART U defense kept the Sharks without a field goal in their first four tries while the Urban Knights executed nine unanswered points including five from senior guard Kendall Brown. As HPU responded, Academy of Art saw its 9-1 lead swing to a 22-13 score favoring Hawaii Pacific. ART U provided steady offense thereafter, but the nine-point margin would remain by halftime.

Out of the locker room, the Sharks unleashed a 19-1 surge which put them up 55-28 midway through the second half. Junior guard Cole Morgan helped break that run with a layup, but as HPU continued to connect from long range, the difference would remain above 23 points en route to the 81-57 end result.

Academy of Art falls to 4-9 on the year and is now 3-4 in PacWest play. Junior center Cameron Niven finished with a team-high 12 points plus six rebounds while Brown and Morgan joined him in double figures offensively with 11 points apiece. Morgan added four steals. Freshman guard Aaron Purnell contributed a career-high seven points and junior guard Cobe Williams collected four assists.

The win elevates HPU to 8-4 overall and 3-1 in conference play. PacWest leading scorer Niksha Federico offered a game-high 25 points including five 3-pointers while Spencer Vering chipped in 16 points off the bench.

ART U's second and final game on the Hawaii Islands will be versus UH Hilo this Friday, Jan. 5 at 7:30 p.m. HT (9:30  p.m. PT).