SAN FRANCISCO -- In a game that saw some of the team's best shooting of the entire season, Academy of Art women's basketball couldn't work past a second quarter push by Fresno Pacific and ultimately fell short 89-73. Though the Sunbirds scored 29 fast break points and had 24 points off turnovers, sophomore forward Lily Perkins highlighted the afternoon by posting a career-high 23 points.

The game began as a shootout with neither team leading by more than four while combining to score 44 points through the first quarter. That frame alone saw eight lead changes and five different ART U players putting points on the board. Junior guard Josselyn Morris nailed two 3-pointers in that span before ending the quarter with a fast break layup.
 
Heading into the second, the Urban Knights trailed 23-21, but that quickly became a 10-point deficit after FPU went on an 8-0 run fueled by transition baskets. Perkins helped provide some consistent offense from that moment on, but the halftime score remained above double digits with the Sunbirds on top 46-34.

Despite scoring three baskets in the final two minutes of the third, ART U trailed 72-53 by the end of the quarter and got down by as many as 28 early in the fourth. However, after three consecutive layups by Perkins, freshman guard Chanel Stuart, and junior forward Ines Medina keyed a 6-0 run, the Knights had the margin down to 14 with a little under a minute to go. Time would end up running out on the comeback as the Sunbirds finished on top 89-73.

The loss drops Academy of Art to 2-10 overall this season and 1-8 in conference play. Perkins' aforementioned career-high 23 points came with nine rebounds and five assists. Medina scored 10 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for her third double-double while also adding a career-high seven assists. Stuart contributed 12 points off the bench and Morris turned in 11 points as the Urban Knights had their second-highest field goal percentage of the year, shooting just over 44 percent.

"I'm very pleased by our team's effort today," said head coach Camille Williams. "Fresno Pacific is a tough team and we battled in many ways, topping them on the boards and in the last quarter, but we fell short giving up too many turnovers. With four players scoring in double digits, we are coming together and that means a lot for where we are going in the season. We intend to continue the same effort in the next game."

Now one of three PacWest teams with 11 or more total wins, Fresno Pacific improves to 11-4 and 7-2 in conference. Five Sunbirds scored in double figures led by 20 points from Ashley Cross and a 19-point, 11-rebound double-double for Cassie Pisik.

ART U will now hit the road for a five-game road trip starting in San Rafael at Dominican on Thursday, Jan. 17 at 5:30 p.m.