Game #12
ART U Urban Knights (5-6, 3-4 PWC) vs. Biola Eagles (10-4, 6-2 PWC)
Saturday, January 11, 2020 at 1 p.m.
La Mirada, Calif. – Chase Gymnasium
Live Stats & Live Video

Game #13
ART U Urban Knights (5-6, 3-4 PWC) vs. Point Loma Sea Lions (10-4, 6-2 PWC)
Monday, January 13, 2020 at 2 p.m.
San Diego – Golden Gymnasium
Live Stats & Live Video

ROAD GAMES AT BIOLA, POINT LOMA NEXT UP
Departing the Bay Area for the first time since Dec. 19 and right in the middle of a battle among the Pacific West Conference standings, Academy of Art women's basketball makes its way to Southern California for the season's first meetings with Biola and Point Loma over the next three days.

OPENING TIP
Venturing to Southern California for the first time this season, ART U will face Biola on Saturday, Jan. 11 at 1 p.m. inside Chase Gymnasium in La Mirada. Two days later, the trip concludes in San Diego where the Knights get their first look at Point Loma on Monday, Jan. 13 at new tipoff time of 2 p.m. inside Golden Gymnasium. 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
After a week that featured a new program single-game scoring record of 123 points versus Dominican on Dec. 31, Academy of Art moved up to first in the PacWest in offensive rebounds per game (15.0), third in three-point field goals made per game (7.9), and fourth in the PacWest in scoring (73.4) all while remaining second in steals per game (11.3) which is tied for top 30 in NCAA Division II. Named PacWest Player and Freshman of the Week on Monday, junior guard Pam Wilmore and forward Aari'yanna Sanders were both played critical roles in the Urban Knights' recent success. Coming off a week in which she averaged more than 10.0 assists per game in three contests (setting a new program record with 15 versus No. 17 Azusa Pacific), Wilmore now leads the PacWest with 6.2 assists per game and has ascended to seventh in the country as well. She adds the conference's second-most steals per game (2.4) and Sanders is right behind her in fourth (2.2) with junior guard/forward Lily Perkins and graduate student guard Tayler Bennett both not far behind at 2.1 thefts per contest each. Sanders, the top freshman rebounder in the PacWest at 6.5 per game, can be found alongside junior forward Megan Jefferson (7.3 rebounds per contest) within the top 15 in the conference.

Offensively, Bennett had an incredible week, shooting 54 percent from the field while averaging 29.3 points per game in three contests and breaking the ART U scoring record with 39 against No. 17 APU. She has upped her season average to 16.4 points per game (fifth in PacWest), adding the conference's top three-point field goal percentage (.400), and triples made per game (3.1, 20th in NCAA DII). Right behind her in both long range categories is senior guard Josselyn Morris who set the program's single-game record for 3-pointers made (nine) against Dominican and is now making 2.8 per contest at a .360 shooting clip.

THE BIOLA BIO
After starting the season with losses to Cal State Los Angeles and Cal State Dominguez Hills, Biola won seven straight including its first three PacWest games. At 3-2 since then, the Eagles have fallen to Point Loma and Hawaii Pacific, but come off two dominant wins over Chaminade and UH Hilo in Hawaii, bringing them to a tie for second in the PacWest standings behind undefeated HPU. A team of defense and efficiency, BU leads the conference in steals per game (11.4), fewest opponent points per game (56.4), three-point percentage (.366), and is second in field goal percentage (.426). Jelissa Puckett and Aysia Johnson are both tied for fifth in the PacWest in steals per game (2.1), Mikayla Greens ranks third in blocks per contest (1.3), and the Eagle's leading scorer is Danita Estorga at 12.2 points per game. In just three previous meetings, Biola is 3-0 versus ART U. 

GETTING TO THE POINT
Picked to finish third in the PacWest Preseason Coaches Poll, Point Loma finds itself currently tied with Biola for second in the standings at 6-2. On a similar trajectory as the Eagles, the Sea Lions started 1-2 with losses to Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State San Marcos before catching fire and winning eight straight. PLNU was not quite as successful as BU in Hawaii most recently, going 1-2 while narrowly falling to UH Hilo and Hawaii Pacific. Point Loma's 11.4 rebounding margin is well above any other team in the conference and the team's three-point percentage (.336) is second overall. Three Sea Lions rank in the PacWest's top 20 in rebounds per game including Carol Schroeder (7.1, 10th), Cara Liggins (6.9, 12th), and leading scorer Onjalise Carley-Hilliard who pairs 5.8 rebounds (20th) with 15.6 points per contest (sixth). A nearly even historical matchup between ART U and PLNU favors the latter 7-6.

SEASON-BEST 53 REBOUNDS NOT ENOUGH IN MATCHUP WITH HNU
On the road for the first time since mid-December, Academy of Art women's basketball came up short in a 66-60 loss to Holy Names inside Tobin Gymnasium on Jan. 7. Though a season-high 53 rebounds helped the Urban Knights dominate second-chance points 17-8, the Hawks got a big offensive boost off their bench and hung onto the lead throughout the second half.

LOOKING AHEAD
Upon the Urban Knights' return from Southern California, they will rematch Dominican in San Rafael on Jan. 17 then host Hawaii Pacific on Jan. 19 for their lone home game during a month-long span.