Game #17
ART U Urban Knights (3-13, 2-11 PWC) vs. Fresno Pacific Sunbirds (13-6, 9-4 PWC)
Wednesday, January 30, 2019 at 5:30 p.m.
Fresno, Calif. – Special Events Center
Live Stats & Live Video

Game #18
ART U Urban Knights (3-13, 2-11 PWC) vs. Dominican Penguins (14-3, 11-2 PWC)
Friday, February 1, 2019 at 5:30 p.m.
San Francisco – Kezar Pavilion
Live Stats & Live Video

ACADEMY OF ART TO REMATCH FPU, DOMINICAN
Following its trip to Southern California, Academy of Art women's basketball returns to Northern California for regular season series finales at Fresno Pacific and hosting Dominican this week.

OPENING TIP
The Urban Knights begin this final week of January playing their fifth consecutive road game. It takes them to Fresno Pacific and the Special Events Center for a 5:30 p.m. tip-off on Wednesday, Jan. 30. From there, ART U will return home to Kezar Pavilion to open February by hosting Dominican on Friday, Feb. 1 at 5 p.m. Live coverage will be available via the links above. Remember to follow @ARTU_Knights via the athletics app (Apple App Store, Google Play Store) and on Twitter & Instagram as well as "Like" the Urban Knights on Facebook for score updates, videos, and recaps.

KNIGHT WATCH
Academy of Art's matchup with Concordia marked just the second time this season that the team has recorded fewer than 10 offensive rebounds as the Urban Knights remain second in the PacWest with 15.1 offensive boards per game (27th in NCAA Division II). Additionally, ART U is second in the conference in steals per game (9.5) with freshman guard Chanel Stuart's 2.7 thefts per contest (second in PacWest, 30th in DII) leading the charge. After scoring a career-high 27 points on 10-of-19 shooting from the field versus the Eagles, junior guard Brianna Cates has moved up to fourth in the conference in scoring (16.8 points per game) while offering the fourth-highest field goal percentage (44.4) in the PacWest. She has been supported offensively by sophomore forward Lily Perkins (12.0 points per game) and Stuart (11.2 points per game). With that pair each averaging over 2.0 steals and 5.0 rebounds per game, Academy of Art has had a multi-talented trio up front. Junior forward Ines Medina grabbed nine rebounds against Point Loma and her 8.4 average comes in at eighth in the PacWest. With 105 offensive rebounds in her career, she needs just seven more to crack the program's top 10. She also finds herself now four blocks from entering another ART U career top 10.

FUN IN THE SUN
Currently vying with Point Loma for the fourth spot in the PacWest standings, Fresno Pacific enters the week with a 9-4 conference record helped by an 89-73 win over the Knights in San Francisco on Jan. 12. Since that time, the Sunbirds have gone 2-2, defeating Notre Dame de Namur and Biola, but falling to Dominican and No. 25 Azusa Pacific. For a team that ranks third in the PacWest in scoring (75.3 points per game), FPU carries two of the conference's top scorers in Bree Alvarez (seventh, 15.8 points per game) and Jessica Malazarte (10th, 15.1 points per game). Fresno Pacific trails Academy of Art 6-3 in the all-time matchup.

DOMINICAN THE DOMINANT
In a battle with Hawaii Pacific for second-place in the PacWest standings, Dominican has put forth an 11-2 conference record which included a six-game win streak capped by the Penguins' 90-56 victory hosting ART U on Jan. 17. Dominican will host NDNU on Jan. 30 before traveling across the bay to face Academy of Art this weekend. Not much has changed for the Penguins who continue to lead the PacWest in scoring (79.8 points per game, 17th in DII), field goal percentage (46.8 percent, 21st in DII), three-point percentage (39.1 percent, 11th in DII), assists per game (18.5, 11th in DII), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.45, third in DII) and turnover margin (5.89, 18th in DII). Natalie Diaz is still the PacWest scoring leader at 25.9 points per game (third in DII) and, Alanna Scott, who hit six 3-pointers and scored 32 points last time against the Knights, remains the conference's top three-point shooter by percentage (41.1 percent). The previous win for Dominican was just its third victory over ART U in 19 previous meetings.

ART U LEADS AFTER ONE QUARTER, SEA LIONS RALLY BACK TO WIN
Going up against Point Loma for the final of two matchups this season, Academy of Art women's basketball led after one quarter of play, but found themselves working the comeback angle after a second-quarter push from the Sea Lions. Ultimately, PLNU would top ART U once more 62-51 inside Golden Gymnasium on Jan. 26.

LOOKING AHEAD
The Urban Knights' lone out-of-state roadtrip will take them to Hawaii for three games over the course of a week. It features rematches with UH Hilo (Feb. 8), Hawaii Pacific (Feb. 10), and Chaminade (Feb. 12).